SpyroCynder: Dawn of Amnesty
by Niceguy42
Summary: There are more than 50 young dragons growing up in the Dragon Temple, the generation to end the Corrupt reign of the Dark Master: Malefor, but amidst these eggs lies another purple dragon, and as his life develops, he'll need to accept that some things cannot be done alone (AU) (rating subject to change, rated M for gore, R&Rs appreciated)
1. Chapter 1: an Amethyst egg

Chapter 1: an Amethyst egg

"I have it! I have it!" A lightning Dragoness rushed in, carrying an amethyst egg as a much older fire dragon supervised her return.

"Good job, Electra, put it with the others" he told Electra as she placed it in the pile of dragon eggs.

"It wasn't easy, Ignitus, Malefor's forces were swarming the forest" she explained as Ignitus nodded, clearly deep in thought.

"Electra, my dear, you returned safely, has any damage been done to your exterior?" Another Lightning Dragon entered.

"Oh Volteer, I'm fine, you worry too much" her tail passionately slid across his chin as he quivered.

"Electra, I don't know how you do it, but you are the only one who can quell Volteer's electric tongue" an Ice dragon joined them as she smiled.

"It doesn't take much, Cyril, you've just been doing it wrong all these years" she wittingly replied as a Earth Dragon entered.

"Ignitus, Incendia desperately wishes to speak with you" he informed Ignitus.

"Thank you Terrador for the information, keep watch of the eggs, there may be many, but we cannot lose a single one" he instructed Terrador as he nodded. Ignitus exited to see Incendia waiting for him.

"My dearest, what is the trouble?" He asked her.

"Ignitus, we have a problem, we're missing one of the eggs, a fear-type to be exact, we have a Shadow one though to replace them, would two Shadow Dragons be an issue?" She explained as Ignitus thought long and hard about it.

"These dragons are the generation that will free our world from Malefor's clutches, I'm certain that replacing a Fear egg with a Shadow egg will be fine, just as long as we do not lose the purple egg" Ignitus allowed it as Incendia nodded.

"Very good, I'll start preparing for the hatching" she replied as she nuzzled him, and left Ignitus to return to the eggs, and shoved away Cyril, who was inspecting the eggs of the ice dragons.

"Keep your distance, Cyril, I fear your obsessiveness and cold-blooded body will cause the eggs to die on the spot" Ignitus wittingly commented as the Ice Guardian gave a slight puff of irritation.

"I was not checking for my own gain, I merely wanted to see where my egg is, Glacia asked me to check through and find it" he replied as Volteer sighed.

"Sometimes it perplexes me how you even managed to swoon Glacia, she's practically the opposite of you" Volteer remarked as Electra leaned against him.

"It wasn't swooning, we simply were made for each other" he stated as Terrador chuckled.

"I guess opposites do attract, so to speak" he pointed out as Cyril gave him a glare, just then, an Earth Dragoness entered.

"Oh Terrador, are you complaining again?" She asked.

"Of course not, Gaia, just Cyril being Cyril" he replied as Gaia nuzzled him.

"All you, I suggest you stand back, the eggs will hatch, and I'm not sure we should startle the little ones" Ignitus had them step back as the Purple egg started to shake and crack.

"It is hatching..." Cyril trailed off.

"Any other astute observations?" Volteer sarcastically asked as Electra looked at him with "the look" causing Volteer to shut his mouth, eventually the egg cracked open and a little purple and gold dragon made a little cooing noise as he emerged, much to Ignitus's joy.

"I just wish I could've gotten both the Parents and the Egg, but they were slaughtered..." Electra appeared saddened as Volteer comforted her.

"There, there, Electra, there is nothing you could've done, you would've been killed too, and I would've been lost without you" he replied as she smiled.

"Yes, without you, there'd be no one to shut Volteer's mouth" Cyril joked as Ignitus paid no attention, and simply gently nudged the purple dragon.

"What should we call him?" Incendia's statement startled Ignitus.

"I don't know how you do that..." he replied as she chuckled.

"I think a name of royalty is in order, how about Kojurno?" Cyril's suggestion earned him a whack on the head from Volteer's tail, then Ignitus noticed a poster on the wall, the Spyronius Torneamentum.

"How about...Spyro?" Ignitus suggested as Incendia nuzzled him.

"That sounds wounderful" she smiled as one of the Black eggs hatched and revealed a small black dragoness.

"Now she's beautiful..." Gaia complimented as she started shivering in the cold, immediately the baby Spyro treaded carefully over the eggs and let her lean against him, accepting his body heat.

"I think I know what this little lady will be called..." Ignitus trailed off as he looked at the moonlight.

_Present day_

A loud bell rang throughout the Courtyard as a multitude of young dragons were awakening for another day of classes, one specifically bore a purple and gold color palette, it was Spyro, as he yawned and leaped out of his bed and stretched, he immediately entered his bathroom to shower, he turned the dials to just the right temperature, and stepped in as the steaming water hit his scales.

_"Always a good feeling" _he thought to himself as he washed himself clean, and let the water sink beneath his scales, causing him to sigh in pleasure, eventually he gave in and turned off the shower and dried himself. As he walked up to the mirror, he inspected his teeth and brushed them clean, he had pretty much done everything he needed to, he walked out and picked up his book bag, he just hoped he'd reach Cyril's ice projectile lessons before it started, you see, each Dragon has at least one class. There are 8 in total, primary and secondary elemental classes, normally, since most of the Dragons had one element, they only had one class and the rest of the day was their free time, but for Spyro, being a purple dragon meant he could master multiple elements, he had to attend all the primary element classes, thankfully he still had lots of free time due to the Secondary classes, as he opened the door, he looked to his right and ventured out onto the main fields of their home, the Temple was always gorgeous in the early morning and at dusk.

_"This is my home, and I love it" _he smiled as he prepared for classes, and tried to remember where the Ice Dojo was.

_"Oh yeah, third to the left, duh"_ he shook his head as he was on his way, leaving the rest the dragons as they were still waking up, eventually he found the Ice Dojo, with it's blue markings, as he opened the door, he remembered the elemental feel of the place, the ice crystals sticking out of the walls as the ice banner hung in the air.

"Early again, Spyro?" He turned to see Cyril and Glacia walking up to him.

"I am? I could've sworn I'd be here like everyone else" he replied, a little embarrassed as Glacia smiled.

"Out of all the dragons, the fact that you are early can prove to be a great sign of respect" she replied as Cyril agreed.

"Yes, and it shows how dedicated you are too studying the element of Ice, those ungrateful lizards are always late, except for a few, I must say, the batch of Ice Dragons we've received have been nothing but trouble" Cyril added as Glaicia giggled.

"They remind me of you, and pardon my statement, but I remember it being you who filled their heads will delusions of grandeur" she remarked as Cyril sighed in defeat.

"Yes, I suppose, the only one whose humble and dedicated is our own son, Shard, speaking of which, there he is" Cyril replied as Spyro turned to see Shard walking in with his own book bag.

"Morning Dad, hey Spyro" he greeted the purple dragon as he high-tailed him.

"The only two respectable dragons in our class are also friends, that is a gift" Cyril bluntly added as Glacia nodded in agreement, Shard was one of Spyro's friends, he didn't have too many considering he was "the dragon of destiny", he was mostly shunned by other the Dragons for his uniqueness, only at least one dragon from each of the primary elements befriended him, Shard was one of those people, amidst the fire dragons, his friend was Flame, who was in a relationship with Flare, the daughter of Ignitus, who for Spyro, represented the only father figure he'd ever known, for Earth, his friend was Terrain, the highly respected son of Terrador, and lightning was Alastor, the just as chatty, if not more chatty son of Volteer, they were his circle of friends, and the only Dragons whose names he remembered, strictly because no one bothered to befriend him.

"I take it your both ready for today's lesson? It will prove whether or not you are worthy to wield the element of Ice" Cyril told them as they both nodded.

"Well, and right on time, here come the other Ice Dragons" Glacia informed them as they saw the rest of the Ice Dragons approaching from the entrance.

"Good morning, class, I take it you all studied hard and well for your exam today, and you have mastered your Ice projection" Cyril announced as they confirmed his statement.

"Well, then I'm certainly excited to see what you've learned, let the trials begin" he had each of the students perform their Ice projectiles, it went by one by one, everyone performed admirably, finally, it was Shard's turn.

"Now, young chap, impress us all" Cyril had his son step up and prepare to perform his move set, and so he did, and rather impressively, he hit 2 bullseyes, whereas most of the others got only one.

"Excellent work, Shard, and of course, we've saved the best for last, Spyro, my boy, show us how it's done" Cyril looked at the purple dragon as he walked up to the stand, and his throat illuminated a bright white, which to the Ice Dragons, was always a sight to see, since they all shared the same color of their element, they could never see the illumination of the power, but since Spyro was a Purple Dragon, he alone was the only one with that effect, as his throat illuminated brightly, his mouth showed signs of frost and he blasted a series of little Icey spears from his maw, and getting multiple bullseyes, shocked and amazed.

"It looks like the Purple Dragon did his homework..." one Ice Dragon whispered to Shard as he agreed, he wasn't as surprised, he'd known Spyro for years, his skills always overclassed his own, he was the most powerful Dragon in the Temple, Shard had expected something like this as Cyril shared the surprise.

"Well, that was certainly something, though I shouldn't be surprised, you are the Purple Dragon, after all" he pointed out.

"Since we've managed to finish our tests, class has been dismissed early, me and Cyril will grade your assignments and you'll have your results within the week" Glacia dismissed the students as they left.

"Hey Spyro..." Shard started as he looked in interest.

"Yeah, Shard?" He asked.

"Since your class with Ignitus doesn't start for like, 30 minutes, do you want to try and find everyone else?" He suggested as Spyro thought about it.

"Sure, why not?" He shrugged, just then he heard a voice calling to them.

"Shard!" Both Spyro and Shard turned to see Rose, a Fear Dragoness **(ironically)** run up to them and greet them.

"Hello Spyro, hey sweetie" she nuzzled Shard, Secondary Elemental Dragons weren't usually in relationships with Primary elemental Dragons, the historical texts considered it an abnormal occurrence when it happened, the genes of Secondary Dragons and Primary Dragons weren't usually made to mix, however, if they did have an egg, the chances of the Hatchling possessing both of it's parents elements were highly common, Spyro did a lot of reading in his spare time, and overall, it was accepted amongst all Dragons.

"So what are you doing?" She asked them.

"We were just heading to find the others, you included" Shard informed Rose as her tail coiled around his, and she decided to come with.

"Let's go, then" Spyro interrupted their nuzzling to go and find his other friends, as they walked through the field, all the Dragons were chatting, playing, and/or doing other miscellaneous things, eventually they found his other friends lounging by a patch of boulders that were being warmed by the sun.

"Oh hey, Spyro, class got out early?" Flame asked as he and Flare were laying on one of the boulders.

"Yeah, luckily" he replied as Shard and Rose chose one of the open rocks to rest on, leaving Spyro to lay in the fields of grass, Alastor was laying on one of the rocks comfortably as his girlfriend, Terra, walked over, and joined him.

"So How was the exam, Spyro?" Terrain asked eagerly.

"Remember, Terrain, if he doesn't want to answer, don't force it on him" his own girlfriend, Scatha, pointed out as he sighed.

"I know, I know, but I want to know" he responded as Spyro smiled at his enthusiasm.

"It was fine, nothing special" Spyro's answer made Shard a little irritated.

"It was nothing!? Spyro, you practically earned the highest grade on the exam, you used almost the same amount of energy as an Ice Fury, which takes years to master" Shard's explaination made the others grow eager.

"Spyro, you can't brush off everything like it's nothing, so far, you've outclassed every one of us in our elements, minus Rose, because you don't use Secondary Elements, your something special" Flame pointed out as Spyro sighed.

"I know, I know, but...you know what the texts said about Malefor, his overconfidence led to his greedy desire to master all the elements, which plunged him into the dark influence of Aether, I don't want to be like him" Spyro explained.

"Spyro, there is a 1000 to 1 probability that you will turn out just like Malefor, and I say that in the most understandable way I know" Alastor told him as Terra agreed.

"Your nothing like Malefor, for one thing, I bet he didn't possess such a great sense of humor, or your charisma, and definatly not your generosity" Shard reassured him.

"Yeah, then I wouldn't be so sure that I trust you" Spyro looked up to see a little Dragonfly.

"Sparx! When did you get here?" Spyro asked as he shrugged.

"Eh, not too long ago, just wanted to catch up with my good buddy" he replied as Spyro smirked.

"Well, it's good to see you" Spyro told him, suddenly he felt a rock hit the back of his head, but his Earth abilities absorbed the blow, he stood up and turned to face his attacker of sorts, it was a Shadow Dragoness, his biggest hater, she despised him, like most of the Secondary elemental dragons, they weren't fans of the Purple Dragon, the others stood up in response to this as well, looking quite provoked.

"Looks like I caught you at a good time, you purple lug!" She spat at him as he appeared unfazed.

"What do you want?" He asked calmly.

"It looks like class ended early for you, so I figure, why not have a sparring match? You talk so highly of your abilities, why not see how you fair against a living Dragon?" She challenged as Spyro sighed, he didn't need this.

"Hey man, you can kick her butt, just shoot some magic out of your face" Sparx whispered in his ear.

"Alright, I accept, let's go to the arena" he told her as she grinned.

"My pleasure" she had all the students follow and they were prepared to watch an interesting fight, in all honesty, Spyro had never fought a Secondary element dragon.

"You'll get her, Spyro, I'm sure of it" Flare encouraged him as he smiled nervously, and they walked to the arena for their "sparring match".

**(That's the kick-off for my next big project people, that's right, Dawn of Amnesty is going to be long! L-O-N-G baby, so, as one expects, none of the chapters are prewritten, and like a Crystal Flame, this will be released alongside other stories I'll publish, like Spyro: Worlds of the past, anyways, I hope you enjoy, this took lots of time to write)**


	2. Chapter 2: an interesting duel

Chapter 2: an interesting duel

All the students were gathered around as Spyro and the Shadow Dragoness stepped on their respective ends of the arena, and a student posing as a referee of sorts, explained the rules.

"All right, you know how this works, I want a clean fight, no help from any other dragon outside of the ring, all elemental skills that you possess are legally allowed to be used, as well as physical combat, do you understand? The first dragon to forfeit or faint from extended mana drain will lose, ready?" The Dragon had them prepared for the fight, this Shadow Dragoness really hated him, so he knew she'd never accept defeat, but Spyro wasn't gonna just let her win, he'd make her work for it.

"Fight!" He allowed the battle begin as the Dragoness released a stream of Shadow Fire, which Spyro nimbly dodged and repelled with his own fire, allowing them to be at a standstill, eventually the Dragoness stopped and flanked him, turning invisible, leaving Spyro confused, but then he closed his eyes.

"What's he doing?" Sparx asked in confusion as Flame grinned, he'd seen this before.

"It's something only Purple Dragons can do, they can home in on their inner Aether energy, and dectect elemental anomalies, Spyro's learned this recently, and it can be used to sense when a Dragon is near or ready to attack, he's virtually unbeatable in this state" Flame explained as Spyro's eyes stayed closed, and the Dragoness became visible again, and lunged at him, suddenly his eyes opened and he grabbed her arm and waist and threw her across the ring, and watched as she slid across the ground, the crowd make all kinds of "oohs" at her fumble, and started cheering for Spyro, which he wasn't prone in having happen, he didn't like the excess amount of attention, but he ignored it for now, standing up to the Dragoness as she charged head on, but was blasted back by Spyro who used his Earth Stream to send her flying, but she recovered, and did something unexpected, and blasted Poison at him, in surprise, Spyro rolled out of the way as the crowd grew surprised by this, including Spyro, he looked up, he needed to be strategic with his next approach, then she blasted Wind at him, and Shadow, as these missed him, he was hit by Fear, which knocked him down onto the ground, immediately his vision warped and was replaced with destroyed landscapes and dead dragons.

_"You failed us..." _one of the corpses spoke in a reanimated fashion.

"No! No I didn't, I tried to-" he was cut off as another corpse reached for him.

_"Your no savior!" _It spat at him as he backed away.

"No!" He was in terror, he had never received a Nightmare of this magnitude, but he backed into two large Dragons, who looked down on him.

_"We expected better from our own Son, your a failure, your egg should've been destroyed" _one of the large dragons insulted him as Tears rolled down his face.

"No..."

"Spyro!" Shard ran onto the ring to see the Purple Dragon still standing, but he was shaking heavily, he was seeing things he shouldn't be.

"No, No! Mom! Dad! I won't fail you!" He cried as the crowd was getting confused.

"Spyro, listen to me...come back, she's messing with your head" Shard was trying to convince him that what he saw wasn't real, but he wouldn't break.

"I can't fail! **I won't" **immediately Spyro's form grew to a black and gold color as his eyes turned to a soulless white, and he lifted up into the air.

"No! He's going to destroy himself like this! Someone, get Ignitus!" Shard announced, at this point, the students were fleeing the ring, all except the Shadow Dragoness.

"Well? Help him!" Shard yelled at her as she landed.

"I-I can't, I didn't think my fear was so powerful..." her excuses were not helping Shard as he flew up to the corrupted Spyro, and rammed into him, causing them to tumble to the ground, immediately Spyro was thrashing and trying to get free.

**"I can't fail! The world's on my shoulders!" **His babbling was not helping either as Shard pinned him to the ground.

"Come on, Spyro, break out of the trance" he tried speaking to him as Flame and the others returned with Ignitus.

"Where is Spyro!?" Ignitus urgently asked as they pointed at Shard holding him down, allowing Ignitus to move in and replaced Shard.

"Rest, Young Dragon" he tapped his forehead as Spyro stopped thrashing and fell into a sleep state, his scales reverting to their purple color, soon enough, Ignitus rose up, his massive form towering over the others.

"Who is responsible for this!?" He demanded to know as the Shadow Dragoness stepped forward.

"It was my fault, Ignitus, I let my impulses get in the way" she confessed as Ignitus retained a stern expression.

"And so they did, Young Dragon, your Impluses as of late have been nothing but trouble, and they are all directed to Spyro, I expected you to be better than this, Spyro has been through more than you can imagine, I haven't the stomach to tell him his parents were murdered ruthlessly by Malefor's armies simply to get to him, it would break him to the core! And now you've given him nightmares that I fear he will never recover from" Ignitus lectured her as he placed Spyro on his back.

"Though, it still intrigues me how you can use more than one element, I shall consider this, although your Fear is out of control, same with Spyro's electricity breath when he first learned it...which is why when he recovers, he will be your tutor to help you master your elements, for know, you all have the day off" his statement shocked her.

"But, Ignitus, you can't be serious!" She replied as he kept a stern expression.

"I am being serious, and you would do well to remember that...Cynder **(bet you didn't see that coming)**" he spoke his piece and walked off, leaving only Spyro's friends behind.

"I hope that for your sake, Spyro forgives you for this..." Flame growled as they all walked off, leaving Cynder by herself to ponder. As she walked back to her quarters, all her friends were swarming her, obviously impressed that she'd technically won the fight, but she pushed through and entered her room to think.

_"I can't believe I'm being paired with the Purple Dragon, he's just so, so..." _Cynder couldn't finish the sentence as a new thought came to her head.

_"Why did I decide to hate him in the first place?" _She wondered, they had grown up together, and then one day, she just decided to hate him, was it all because of his scale color? Or his powers? To be honest, she'd never known what he was like, now that she thought of it, her hatred for him was a stupid thing.

_"I guess I need to amend things" _she thought to herself as she walked over and looked out her window, all her friends were crowding around, she wanted to avoid attention though, so she turned invisible and snuck through the window, making her way through the fields, eventually making her way to his quarters, she knocked on the door, and she heard footsteps, and to her surprise, it was the purple dragon.

_Moments earlier_

Spyro was in a peaceful slumber when he heard three knocks on his door, his eyes opened wearily as he lifted his head and looked around, he was in his room again, he rubbed his eyes and leaped off his bed, and walked to the door, only to see the Shadow Dragoness, she looked rather sad about something, then he remembered what had happened in the arena.

_"Flame would tell me to turn her away, but I'm not Flame, I'll give her time to explain" _Spyro opened the door wider.

"Come in" he said with a decently positive tone, leaving the Dragoness shocked at his behavior, as she entered and they sat down, she started explaining everything.

"Look, I don't expect to be forgiven after all these years of bullying you, but I wanted to say...I'm sorry, my actions went to far with the fight, and to be honest, I just forgot why I hate you in the first place...anyways, I don't expect to be forgiven, I'll just be going..." She was prepared to leave, when Spyro grabbed her wing gently.

"Wait! Please stay with me" he requested as she grew more baffled, and turned around to sit back down.

"I forgive you, it's not like me to hold grudges, even though you've done all these things to me, what matters to me is how people feel morally if they've done something wrong, and you, the fact that you even apologized to me is reason enough to give you a second chance" Spyro explained as she seemed to grow relieved.

"I was wondering if we could...start over?" She asked as Spyro nodded.

"Sure, you know, I never got your name" he replied.

"It's Cynder, that's my name" she told him as he smiled.

"That's a nice name" his response made Cynder thankful that she had black scales, as she blushed a little.

_"I never knew he was this nice" _she was a little surprised.

"Why don't we start with some personal details? I'm personally into reading lots of historical scrolls, my friends call me a bookworm for it, hmm, what else? I'm not sure, how about you tell me something about you, Cynder, while I think of something else" he suggested as Cynder thought to herself.

"Me? Oh, well, I guess I'm into combat, although that got out of hand as you saw" she replied as Spyro chuckled.

"A little? That's an understatement, sister" he joked as Cynder actually laughed at that, which surprised her further, everytime her friends told her something, she did laugh, but it felt fake and unnatural, but Spyro seemed genuinely funny.

"So, what else is there about you?" She asked him as he thought to himself.

"Well, let's see, my preferred element is Fire, speaking of which, it was really impressive how you could all four of the Secondary elements, how did you do that?" He asked as she grew uncertain.

"I don't know, I might've been born with it" Cynder replied.

"Hmm, the scrolls do say something about rare occurrences where a Dragon could be born with the ability to master four elements besides a Purple Dragon" he stated as Cynder sighed.

"You really are a bookworm" she remarked as he himself laughed.

"Good one" he responded as she felt flattered.

_"Maybe he's not as bad as I thought" _she thought to herself as they kept talking about various things they were interested in, eventually though, the sun was setting, and the day was ending.

"Well, I should probably go, it was nice to get to know you, Spyro" Cynder smiled as Spyro returned the smile, and she left his quarters.

_"Maybe him being my tutor won't be such a bad thing" _she thought to herself, meanwhile with Spyro, he sat in his bed satisfied with the talk he had.

_"I could sense the regret and pain inside her, I know exactly why she was mad with me..." _Spyro felt calm, and also happy that they finally moved past their differences, suddenly a glowing light appeared from the roof.

"Sparx? Were you spying on me?" He asked as the Dragonfly sighed.

"Yeah, what do you want me to do? The others were concerned, so they sent me" he answered as Spyro sighed.

"Well, What did you think of the little conversation me and Cynder had?" He wondered as a Sparx flew down to him.

"All I can say is, I don't trust her, I think she's using you, trying to get under your skin so she can hurt you" he gave an honest opinion as Spyro sighed.

"Of course you'd say that, she was honest with he apology, I felt it, I don't know how, but I can sense her feelings, she truly felt regret for what she's done" he replied as Sparx face-palmed.

"Dude, that's just what love does to you" his response shocked Spyro.

"What? Love? Don't be ridiculous, we've just met each other!" he snapped as Sparx.

"Oh sure, I don't know if your "feeling powers" were working, but I reconginzed the look in her eyes, she wants you, and vice versa, even if neither of you know it yet, just let a few weeks of tutoring go by, and you'll be all over each other" Sparx was imitating kissing sounds as Spyro grew flustered.

"Stop that!" He scowled as Sparx burst out laughing.

"Oh, no way, man, that was priceless, your friends are gonna be ridiculing you for ages, by the way, Ignitus wanted to see you when you woke up" he added as Spyro swatted him into the wall with his tail.

"That was for earlier" Spyro retorted as he left his quarters to find Ignitus, leaving Sparx against the wall.

"Ow, that's gonna leave a mark, but it was worth it..." Sparx groaned, meanwhile, Spyro went to the Guardian's quarters, and knocked on Ignitus's and Incendia's door.

"Enter" Ignitus's voice could be heard as Spyro opened the door.

"I heard you wanted to see me, Ignitus?" He asked as Ignitus regrettable left Incendia's embrace.

"Yes, Young Dragon, come and walk with me, don't worry, my dear, we won't be long" Ignitus looked at Incendia as she nodded, and the two walked outside, across the field.

"Spyro, you are a rare Purple Dragon, and a most powerful creature, however, Cynder's ability to have mastered all the Secondary elements confuses me, no dragon other than a Purple Dragon has been able to master multiple elements since a time that predates Malefor's existence, as she demonstrated today, her elemental abilities are not too well controlled, as she nearly convinced you to destroy everything out of Fear, which is another thing I wish to speak with you about" Ignitus explained as Spyro listened.

"Being a Purple Dragon means having a lot of pressure put on you, this usually means that they are more volitile than most, this is how Malefor fell to Darkness, and if you are not careful, it will be your fate, you need only control your emotions, and you will be a perfect warrior, capable of boundless feats and accomplishments, but be wary, and let your heart guide your decisions" Ignitus continued.

"Anyways, back to Cynder, she has appeared to be able to master multiple elements, although they are not fully controlled, that is why I've found it best that you work with her on this" Ignitus's statement surprised Spyro.

"Are you sure about this?" He asked as Ignitus nodded.

"Yes, I am, Cynder needs your guidance, as you are the only other dragon here capable of mastering multiple elements, and while the Secondary Elements are certainly different from the primary ones, I expect you to have little to no trouble training her" he gave a compassionate look at Spyro.

"But...my friends, they don't trust her, I don't want to drive a wedge between me and them" he replied as Ignitus calmed him.

"Never fear, Young Dragon, the situation will be explained in full depth to them tomorrow, you should be thankful it is the holiday break starting tomorrow, it will give you plenty of time to train Cynder, now you best be getting some sleep, Young Dragon" he told Spyro as he nodded and returned to his quarters, leaving Ignitus to stare at the moonlight, before returning to his own quarters.

"How'd it go?" Incendia asked as Ignitus laid beside her.

"Oh, there wasn't much trouble, overall, I'd say he took the news well" he replied as she giggled.

"I'd be proud if he was our son" she told him.

"Yes, indeed, but alas, he is not, that doesn't mean we didn't treat him like our own" he told her as she nodded, and their tails coiled.

"Well, I'd expect you to care for any Dragon in that regard, it's one of the many reasons I became your mate" Incendia pointed out as Ignitus smiled.

"Good night, my dearest" he said to her as she replied, and he blew out the candle in their room, rendering it pitch black.

**(Whew, that was tense! Now it's time to release the Christmas special, and from here on out, none of the chapters are prewritten, but Spyro: Worlds of the Past will follow a similar format to all my standard Stories, anyways, Peace!)**


	3. Chapter 3: first day

**(So recently I found this song called Used to Like by Neon Trees, and I'm practically addicted to this song, and whenever I hear it, I think of this story, simply because Spyro and Cynder's relationship will act like Romeo and Juliet, and which neither side wants them to be together, but they do so anyways, well, enough about me, time for you to read, enjoy!)**

Chapter 3: first day

Spyro awoke in his quarters, the sunlight was blazing onto his bed, which made it much regrettable to get out of bed, he saw Sparx was snoozing in a little hammock he made for him.

_"Time for training..." _Spyro thought to himself as he stumbled out of his bed, took his shower, brushed his teeth, and grabbed his book bag, all without disturbing Sparx. As he left his door, he accidentally got his wing wing caught in the door, irritated, he opened the door so his wing could loosen up and free itself.

_"Seriously, why?" _He sighed, he still didn't like the idea of tutoring Cynder, he wanted to welcome her with open wings, but it wasn't her that he was mainly afraid of, even if Ignitus told them about the situation, they might be very disapproving of it.

_"I just hope Ignitus knows what he's doing...oh, what am I saying? Of course he does" _Spyro reassured himself in his thoughts as he walked out to the fields, where all his friends were waiting.

"Your up early" Shard pointed out as he walked up to them.

"Well, you know what they, early bird catches the worm" he replied as they looked a little suspicious.

"What? Come on guys, cut the crap, what's going on?" Spyro asked as Flame finally came forward and spoke.

"Spyro, Listen, Ignitus told us about your "tutoring" lessons with Cynder, and we don't think it's really a good idea" he explained.

"Yes, she is indeed a diabolical specimen, her actions yesterday proved so" Alastor added as Spyro sighed.

"Come on guys, give her a chance, and wether you like it or not, Ignitus has assigned me to this task, so I intend to fulfill it, now if you'll excuse me, I need to find Cynder to begin her training" Spyro told them rather coolly and walked off.

"He's not been himself since the fight, something's off" Terrain pointed out.

"Come on, what's the worst that can happen? He's just helping her master her abilities, it's not like anything serious will happen between them" Rose reassured Shard as Sparx crossed his arms.

"Don't be too sure" he muttered to himself as Spyro entered the Secondary Elemental section of the Temple, as he walked down the halls, groups of Secondary elemental Dragons were eying him.

_"Just keep moving..." _he thought calmly as he neared Cynder's quarters, he was suddenly pushed by a Shadow Dragon.

"What business does the Dragon of Destiny have with us?" A Shadow Dragon sneered as Spyro kept quiet and tried to keep going, but the Dragon persisted, and pushed him against the wall.

"Hey! Look at me when I'm talking to you!" He snarled, to recap a little, Secondary Dragons weren't huge fans of Spyro, he wasn't really valued amongst them, and naturally, they thought he was stuck-up and his head was in the clouds because of his extended time with Primary Dragons, Spyro recognized this as one of the traits that Cynder initially hated him for, although he was nothing like their descriptions of him.

"Might I ask what your name is?" Spyro asked, unfazed.

"It's Nero, remember it, you sure have a lot of nerve being on our turf" he growled as Spyro figured a bit of smugness couldn't hurt.

"Last I remember, the Temple grounds were open to everyone to visit" he retorted in a subtle way as Nero threw him on the ground.

"You don't scare me, punk! Cynder proved that no one is invincible" he sneered as Spyro looked up.

"So anything more to say?" Nero asked threateningly as Spyro chuckled.

"From this angle, your face doesn't look as ugly" he knew he would push Nero to the limit, but the Shadow Dragon could initially do no harm to him, or Ignitus would pretty much hang their heads on his wall, figuratively speaking.

"Nero, lay off!" Spyro looked back to see Cynder, upside down as Nero backed off.

"My apologies" he solemnly stepped back as Spyro stood up.

"Nero, he's mentoring me, I suggest you behave unless you want a quarrel with Ignitus himself" she told him as he shrugged.

"Ignitus doesn't scare me" he was overconfident in his abilities, Spyro could definitely tell, and all Cynder did was whisper in his ear.

"He will soon" she told him and had Spyro follow him back the way he came.

"Thanks for the save back there" he told her as she shrugged.

"It was nothing, so what do we start with?" Cynder asked as Spyro considered this.

"Well, I was thinking we could train in the forest, you know, where's there's not too many Dragons to actually hit, you know?" Spyro suggested as Cynder agreed.

"All right, I'm down for it, lead the way" she replied as Spyro nodded and the two of them walked over to what appeared to be an exit to the forest, as they walked out into the woods, Spyro took them fairly deep into the valley.

"Um, Spyro, quick question? How will we get back?" Cynder asked.

"Well, I usually come out here for privacy, if I want to just be by my myself, or read, I just find it a great place to get away from the crowd or just everything else, so I know where to go to get back, and almost no one knows about this place, so we can do training without interruption" Spyro explained as Cynder understood what he meant.

"You mean you actually want to get away? I always thought you liked the popularity you received" she pointed out as Spyro shrugged.

"Truth is, I'm not really into the attention I get, and since no one knows about this place, I can get away, you should prepare yourself for that as well, I'm sure most of the Secondary Dragons will see you as the most famous among them now, since you sort of bested me in that fight we had" Spyro replied as Cynder blushed in embarrassment.

"If I had known what I could've done, I probably wouldn't have done it" she told him as he shrugged.

"Well, that's why we're here, so you can know what your able to do, alright, this place looks good enough" Spyro and Cynder stopped their little walk in the middle of a clearing, then Spyro pulled out some Secondary elemental scrolls.

"Okay, We're going to start with some basic abilities, we'll go with Shadow first, since that's the element you have the most practice in, considering it was the element you were born with" he explained to her as she prepared to demonstrate her abilities.

"First skill: we'll try a basic Shadow blast, can you do that?" Spyro asked as Cynder sighed.

"Of course I can, you dork" she replied as Spyro felt a little embarrassed.

"Okay, well, demonstrate" he told her as she performed an admirably good Shadow blast against a tree.

"Okay, okay, good, we'll go to something a little more advanced, how about Shadow Fire, I want you to show me your most powerful blast, since you used Shadow Fire on me yesterday" Spyro instructed her as she nodded and used a powerful blast of Shadow Fire on the grass, giving them little black flames.

_"Hmm, well that's a good sign" _Spyro thought to himself as he froze up the flames with his ice breath, and thawed out the grass with a light blast of Fire.

"Good, you were trained well, I take it you have been instructed in all the advanced combat methods for Shadow?" He asked Cynder as she nodded.

"Okay, I can't train you anymore in that element, my suggestion would be to take some time off to improve your skills with Ravan, let's go to the first element you revealed during your fight with me: Poison" Spyro told Cynder as her throat illuminated a lime green, something that impressed Spyro.

_"Interesting, she shares that cosmetic with me_" he thought to himself.

"Okay Cynder, the Poison you used on me the other day was a little crude and archaic, similar to any other creature that spews Poison, you share this ability, and it can be redirected through your body to form certain shape" Spyro explained as Cynder grew confused.

"So what does that mean?" She asked.

"I mean you can redirect the Poison within to create deadly blasts, let's try an example, I want you to redirect the Poison in your body to create a Poison stream and hit that tree right there" Spyro directed Cynder's attention to a nearby tree, she sunk down into a hunter's crouch, which caught Spyro's eye, as she slithered across the ground, her throat illuminated lime green yet again as a stream of Poison was blasted from her mouth, shooting through several trees.

_"She exceeded expectations, that's new, her powers are certainly strong" _Spyro thought to himself as he watched Cynder return.

"So? How'd I do?" She asked, optimistically.

"Well...you did better than I expected, considering you've only known about these abilities for a day or so" he answered as Cynder appeared to grow more happy about this.

"Well, I learned from the best" she smiled as Spyro grew confused.

"Oh? And whose that?" He asked out of curiosity as Cynder rolled her eyes.

"You, silly!" She said playfully as Spyro grew confused at this tone, it had only been a day, but something felt different between them, she seemed...friendlier, as if she'd known him her whole life, when just yesterday, she was his biggest hater, Spyro pushed the thought away as he was prepared to continue the lesson.

"Okay, you've mastered your Poison stream it would seem, I want you to take some time off and improve it when we come back for our next session, I can't really help improve that ability, only you can do that, I'd recommend that you use Poison stream more than just a spew, as a spew releases different amounts of Poison onto an enemy, of a tiny drop hits them, it might not be enough to stall them even, as you used the spew on me yesterday, but it wasn't that effective, anyways, let's move on" Spyro explained and prepared to move onto Wind, but then Cynder did something surprising.

"Spyro, can we take a break?" She asked as Spyro grew confused.

"A break? But we've only been at this for 5 minutes" he replied as she sighed.

"I know but...I've kinda got a lot of energy pent up right now, and there's only one way I know about how to release it" her tone shifted to a much more playful tone.

"Well, what do you-ahh!" Spyro was pushed by Cynder as she playfully cried.

"Tag, Your it!" She announced as she bounced off into the woods, Spyro immediately grew a mischievous grin on his face.

"Oh, your gonna get it!" He chases after her, eventually he could see her slim form moving through the trees, she was fast, but he was faster. He took a move that he learned from Volteer about redirecting his Lightning throughout his body to make him go faster, which he did as his eyes turned a bright yellow, and he sped up, zipping through the trees at momentus speeds, Cynder saw this and quickly slowed down so Spyro would overshoot her, and so he did, but what Cynder wasn't expecting was for him to quickly turn right back around and crash into her, the force was so powerful that neither Cynder nor Spyro had time to comprehend what just happened.

"Spyro! Slow down!" Cynder tried to tell him, but he was going too fast.

"I can't!" He replied, they eventually left the woods and came to hill slope, and Spyro saw his opportunity to stop, channeling his Earth Element, Spyro added extra weight to his body, and the the two of them tumbled down the hill, with Spyro's speed having worn off, and the first thing they saw were each other's eyes, Cynder was laying on top of Spyro, causing them to both blush, but then they started laughing.

"Did that quench your energy?" Spyro asked as Cynder giggled.

"Yes, yes it did, I could stay here forever" her response made Spyro blush even more, as she was still on top of him.

"Cynder? Could you please get off of me?" He asked politely as Cynder blushed at realized how long she was laying on him and got off of him, allowing the Purple Dragon to stand up, as they walked back up the hill and returned to the clearing, Spyro grabbed his bag.

"Alright, we'll do one more thing before we call it a day, I'm going to hand you these scrolls on Advanced Poison combat, I was going to try and teach you about Wind, but I find it best we tackle that next week, each week we'll focus on one of your elements" he explained as he handed Cynder the scrolls, and she took them compliantly.

"Okay, that's day one of training, let's head back to the Temple, and you can rest yourself" Spyro added as Cynder followed.

"Um, Spyro? I know this might not be that concerning to you, but I get the feeling that your friends might not support you teaching me, don't get me wrong, I'm grateful, even though it's been a day, but, isn't it practically an unwritten rule that Primary and Secondary Dragons shouldn't interact?" Cynder asked as Spyro stopped.

"Cynder, I was given a job to do, and I intend to go through with it, we've befriended each other, and my friends can't stop Ignitus's decision, there are reasons he assigned me as your tutor, some reasons that even I don't know yet" he explained as Cynder thought about that.

"Well, thanks for the training, I'll be sure to work on my Poison stream...and hopefully I'll get to see you again soon, maybe before tomorrow?" She suggested as Spyro grew confused.

"Well, I mean, it is the Holiday break, I suppose we could set up a time today...where would we meet?" He asked as Cynder shrugged.

"I'll let the big Purple Boy figure it out, I'm going to my quarters, send me something telling me where we'll meet" she replied as she walked off, leaving Spyro dumbstruck.

_"One, did she just flirt with me? Two, did I just inadvertently set up a date? Aw man, I need to think about this" _he was confused and lost in his thoughts, he figured he'd head back to his quarters to think about what just happened, as he walked back through the courtyard, Shard was waiting for him.

"How'd it go?" He asked as Spyro shrugged.

"It was pretty uneventful" he told him in a rather monotone voice as Shard walked with him.

"Listen, me and the others were talking, and we were gonna ask Ignitus if you weren't partnered with Cynder" his statement made Spyro grow a little irritated.

"Why? Ignitus made the decision, not you, you can't just try to decide what's good for me" Spyro snapped, which surprised Shard a little.

"Dude, she's a witch!" Spyro looked up to see Sparx.

"Sparx! What are you doing here!?" Spyro asked grumpily as he crossed his arms.

"Trying to discourage anything unsound" he replied calmly as Spyro sighed.

"Cynder's not all bad, okay? Our training went fine anyways, why should you both even care?" He told the two of them.

"Spyro, I'm not sure if you remember correctly, but Cynder absolutely despises you, this could be a ruse to use you against us" Shard's response infuriated Spyro, there was never a time where he thought his friends were being ignorant, but now was definitely that time.

"Oh yeah? You weren't there when she apologized, I don't know how to explain it, but I could sense her emotions, there was no deceit, no lies, no nothing! She was honest, and realized she was in the wrong!" Spyro's temper was as short as a bomb fuse, both Sparx and Shard took note of this.

"Spyro, calm down, think rationally" Shard told him as Spyro did so.

"Listen, get to know her, you'll see that she's not so bad, I'm going to my room, and Sparx, don't think about coming in, or I'll do something much more drastic then slap you against the wall" Spyro said the last part with a growl, leaving the two of them behind.

"Sparx, something's not right, I want you to keep watch of Spyro, just don't be obvious, if he leaves, follow him" Shard whispered to the Dragonfly as he sighed.

"I'm always the one putting myself in danger for these missions...why?" Sparx sighed as he flew after Spyro to Spyro and see what was going on...

Cynder was heading back to her quarters when she caught sight of Nero heading her way.

_"Oh great...what does this lugnut want now?" _She rolled her eyes as Nero walked up to her.

"Hello Cynder, you were out late" he said to her as she noticed the sun was setting.

"So?" She replied bluntly as Nero grew suspicious.

"Listen, I heard about Ignitus assigning you to be Spyro's apprentice or something, so I say it's the perfect time to strike, I know you pretended to save him from me earlier today, but I know it's a ruse, take the opportunity" Nero explained as Cynder looked away.

"No, I'm not, he's my teacher, therefore I must respect him, now if you'll get out of my way, I have somewhere to be" she said rather cooly as Nero grunted.

"Just remember, we're counting on you to make the move!" He said rather menacingly as Cynder rolled her eyes and entered her quarters, only to see a slip of paper at her window, as she unfolded the paper, she smiled.

_"Oh Spyro, you are a genius sometimes" _she thought to herself as she read the letter.

"Meet me in the clearing in the forest, 20 minutes, I need to get some things ready, see you there"

-Spyro

As Cynder read the letter, she hid it so no one would find it should they barge into her room uninvited, and figured she would wait for the next 20 minutes to go by, marveling at stars.


	4. Chapter 4: a Strangely magical moment

Chapter 4: a strangely magical moment

Cynder made her way through the forest, the trees and branches sticking out with their bird nests and whatnot, Cynder always imagined that the trees were fighting with one another, their positions and shapes made them look like they were fighting great battles, as she made it into the clearing, she saw Spyro was waiting for him.

"Ah, there you are, for a moment I feared you might've gotten lost" he said rather cheerfully.

"Yeah sorry, I was held up by some friends of mine" she replied as Spyro seemed unsurprised.

"No news there, my friends were that way too, I almost couldn't make it because they were swarming me, I guess not everyone at the Temple thinks Ignitus's decision was incredibly sound" he explained as Cynder grew unsure.

"Well what do you think?" She asked, which caught Spyro off guard.

"What do you mean?" He countered with his own question.

"I mean, do you think his decision was sound? I have treated you awfully in the past" she pointed out as Spyro gave a sympathetic look.

"Of course I do, don't think I'll think any less of you because of what you did, and besides, if I didn't like you, I wouldn't have provided dinner" he gathered her attention to a deer laying on the ground.

"Woah! Did you catch this?" Cynder was amazed as Spyro confirmed her beliefs.

"Yep, I was taught well, it's a good thing I took time with Incendia to master my hunter's crouch" he explained how he was able to catch it, causing Cynder to giggle.

"You must've been strong if you were able to take this down, a deer is much larger then we are" her response made Spyro blush a little.

"It was nothing..." he tried to brush it off, but Cynder wasn't too keen on letting him not accept glory.

"You've ran from compliments for long enough, Purple Boy, so I'll say it again: you must've really been strong" she persisted as Spyro was getting flustered.

_"She's flirting with me again" _Spyro wasn't the only one thinking this.

_"Am I flirting with him again?" _Cynder grew confused with her actions, but she let it slide.

"Should we dig in? I'm starving" she quickly changed the subject as Spyro nodded.

"Sure, allow me" he walked over to the deer, and tried to use his claws to help make the deer more edible, but a Cynder saw he was struggling.

_"He's trying to be a gentlemen, but I'm gonna have to burst his little chivalrous bubble" _she thought to herself as she walked over.

"Allow _me_" Cynder said to him as she used her much sharper claws to slice open the deer.

"Thanks for that, guess my need to impress outwieghed my logic" Spyro said nervously as Cynder giggled.

"It's fine, but just remember that a girl can hold her own just fine" she replied as they sat down next to each other and started eating, immediately the flavors gushed through Cynder's mouth as she licked her lips in satisfaction.

"Mmm! Spyro, you caught a nice, juicy deer, it's delicious!" She pointed out as Spyro chuckled.

"Glad to see your enjoying it" he smiled, for whatever reason, Cynder adored that smile, it was so innocent and charming.

_"He is pretty handsome...wait? Did I think that" _Cynder was overcome with different emotions at that point in time, eventually they finished the deer and buried the remains.

"So what now?" Spyro asked as Cynder's tail thrashed from left to right, and a mischievous grin formed on her face.

"Well when you think about it, we never did have a winner for our game today..." she trailed off as Spyro grew confused, it was then that he was pushed by Cynder.

"Tag!" And she ran off, laughing cheerfully, leaving Spyro to pursue.

"Hey, come back!" He called after her, and pursued...

Shard was inches from Ignitus's door, and was prepared to knock.

_"I know Sparx is watching Spyro, but I need to know what's going on with him" _those thoughts confirmed his desire to knock the door as he heard Ignitus speak.

"Enter" as he said those words, Shard opened the door to see the Fire Guardian and Incendia standing there.

"Hello Shard, What brings you here?" Incendia asked warmly as Shard explained his reasons.

"Well, it's about Spyro, he's been acting really weird lately, and I think it might be Cynder that's doing this, I know you have an ability to see where any Dragon is at any time, within range of course, I want to make sure he's okay" he told Ignitus as he nodded.

"Very well, I shall do what I can, Young Dragon" he replied as he closed his eyes and focused in on Spyro's position, what he saw warmed his heart, Spyro was with Cynder, and they were playing.

_"As it should've been between the two of them, I do know what is happening, although it is not fully developed yet, I find it best that they go undistrubed" _Ignitus thought to himself, he was even happy when he saw Cynder leap onto Spyro playfully and two kept on playing, eventually Ignitus opened his eyes, and saw Shard looking with interest.

"Well?" He asked as Ignitus.

"There isn't anything wrong, Spyro's just under lots of pressure, he's been given a new responsibility, you know, that takes a lot out of a Dragon" he told Shard as he sighed.

"I guess your right, well, thanks anyway" he walked out of the room with more questions than answers, as the door closed, Incendia glanced at Ignitus.

"What did you really see?" She asked.

"Whatever do you mean, dearest?" He countered her question as Incendia grinned.

"Ignitus, I've known you long enough to know when your lying, you saw something, and you didn't tell Shard, you can tell me, I can keep secrets" she explained as Ignitus submitted.

"Very well, Spyro's affection for Cynder are growing, it is as it should be for the two of them, although neither of their friend groups probably would approve, which is why I kept it from Shard, their feelings need to grow further before their friends know, or else disaster will strike" Ignitus explained as Incendia's grin turned to a smile.

"Reminds me of us when we were young, our love couldn't be quenched by our families rivalries, the world was against us, and now it's against Spyro and Cynder" she replied as Ignitus nodded.

"Yes, indeed, I knew that their bond was special from the day I watched them hatch, they spent the most time together, and then...Cynder's fallout with Spyro was hard to watch, they didn't even know each other's names when that happened, but thankfully they can begin again" he told her as Incendia nuzzled him, and they figured it was best to retire for the night...

Spyro was tackled down by Cynder as the two continued playing their games, he was struggling to get her off of her.

"What's the matter? Purple Boy? Can't fight back, it must be humiliating for the "Dragon of Destiny" to be taken down by a girl" she added with a snarky tone as Spyro looked up at her mischievously.

"Oh yeah? What if that's what I want you to think?" He asked as Cynder grew a little confused, until Spyro's eyes turned Green, and he lifted her up with both of his arms, surprising Cynder as he placed her on the ground.

"Even when your extra strong, your a gentleman" Cynder pointed out as Spyro shrugged.

"Well how could I harm such a beautiful Dragoness?" He asked in a charming tone as Cynder blushed.

_"He said I was beautiful, maybe it's not just me, maybe he feels the same, but I still don't understand, we just met, why do I feel this way?" _She wondered to herself as she suddenly lost control of herself, and leaped onto Spyro, laying on top of him, surprising them both.

"What are you doing?" Spyro asked as she didn't even know what she was doing.

"I'm...I'm not sure, but it feels...right" she replied as Spyro gazed into her eyes, her emerald green eyes...they were so beautiful...

"Did anyone tell you that you have beautiful eyes?" He asked Cynder as she smiled.

"Only you, it seems" she replied, the moment was pure magic, then little lights started flying around.

"Fireflies..." Spyro trailed off as the Fireflies continued buzzing around, the sky was clear, the stars were out, the moon was bright, the moment was magical, and somehow, as if by instinct, they knew exactly what was needed to complete it, Cynder leaned closer to his face, their eyes closed...and they kissed one another on the lips **(let's be honest, it was going to happen, but don't worry, there are some good reasons as to why their relationship evolves so quickly)**, it was a moment that felt like it lasted for eternity, The two Dragons remained there for more than 2 minutes, their tails coiled, and their tongues wrestling for dominance, they eventually pulled back.

"That was...amazing..." Spyro was at a loss for words, but Cynder grew fearful.

"Spyro...we shouldn't do this, what if _they _find out?" Spyro knew she was referring to their friends.

"They don't have to know, it'll be our secret, I promise..." he reassured her as she looked uncertain.

"Spyro? Do you think this...was meant to be?" She asked him about the kiss.

"Maybe...perhaps Ignitus knew about this...I...I don't care what anyone else thinks, I don't know why we're like this, but maybe...maybe it's love..." Spyro replied as Cynder smiled.

"Maybe?" She asked sarcastically, then she asked a pleasantly surprising question.

"Spyro...could we kiss again? I kinda liked it..." her request seemed like a little girl, happy and innocent, to answer her, he pulled her head closer and kissed her again, and she enjoyed it very much, as they pulled back, they gazed into the stars, and Cynder laid her head on Spyro's chest.

"This is beautiful..." she trailed off as Spyro smiled at her joyful expression.

"Your more beautiful then all the stars combined..." he replied, causing her to blush as she looked at him.

"Spyro...I...I don't deserve this..." her statement surprised Spyro.

"Cynder...if anything...you deserve better" Spyro countered her as she looked shocked.

"What? No...you, I..." she was at a loss for words.

"I said it, Cynder, I couldn't possibly deserve a Dragoness nearly as beautiful as you, I'm a mess, look at me" Spyro continued as Cynder's eyes widened.

"A mess? Look at you! Your the most handsome, muscular Dragon I've ever seen, and don't get me started on your personality" she just realized how much she said about him, causing Spyro to blush, he could stay where he was forever, with Cynder, under the night sky, he was glad that none of his friends were there.

"Spyro...could we sleep here tonight?" Cynder asked as Spyro smiled.

"Of course, whatever you want..." he replied in a rather caring tone, causing her to smile and lay her head on his chest.

"Well, that's good, because I wasn't going to leave anyways..." she whispered into his ear, and she was prepared to sleep, before getting a peck on the cheek from Spyro.

"Good night, Cynder..." he said to her as she smiled at him.

"Good night, Spyro..." she replied as drifted off in his arms, and eventually, Spyro himself fell asleep, under the stars, but unbeknownst to both of them, a small glowing Dragonfly was watching from a distance.

"I called it..." he grinned.


	5. Chapter 5: the Discovery

**(So, life update: it is snowing like crazy where I live, see, I live in Minnesota, aka, the land of the freeze, and so right now the snow is ridiculous here, anyways, onto the chapter!)**

Chapter 5: the discovery

Spyro's eyes squinted open as he saw Cynder's peaceful form laying on him, she looked so beautiful and elegant, the sun was still rising up when he looked at the sky, he sighed as he recalled the events that happened last night, the food, their game, and their unexpected first kiss, the moment wasn't anything less than he imagined.

_"Nothing could possibly ruin this..." _Spyro thought to himself, it was then that he saw a small glowing figure flying over him.

_"I spoke too soon..." _he groaned, the one thing he didn't want to happen...happened.

"So Spyro...how was the night with your lady?" Sparx of all people, had found them, and asked that question as Spyro growled.

"Shh! She's still asleep" he whispered as Sparx smirked.

"I was so right, so how'd it feel?" Sparx landed on his head.

"What do you mean?" Spyro asked as Sparx rolled his eyes.

"The kiss? How'd it feel to kiss a witch?" He asked as Spyro's slowly grew more angry, simply wishing that Sparx was right by his tail so he could swat him.

"She's not a witch, first of all...and second, it felt...pretty good" he gave the Dragonfly his honest opinion, which caused Sparx to appear shocked.

"What? You gotta be kidding me..." Sparx's statement was enough to stir Cynder from her slumber, to which Spyro gave a glare at Sparx.

"Spyro...who are you talking to...?" She groggily asked, when her eyes had adjusted all the way, she saw Sparx on Spyro's head, and squealed.

"Ah! Spyro! What is that!?" She exclaimed as Sparx sighed.

"That? I have a name you know..." he sighed as Spyro chuckled nervously.

"Um, Cynder...this is Sparx...he's a friend of mine, and I guess he found us..." Spyro replied as Sparx started laughing.

"Oh man, this is priceless, just wait until your friends hear about this" Sparx was prepared to fly off, but Spyro stopped him.

"Sparx, you can't!" He tried to convince him.

"Oh really? And waste the opportunity to humiliate you for eternity? Why shouldn't I?" His question earned a growl from Cynder.

"Because if you tell them, I'll swallow you whole and regurgitate you until you promise!" She snarled as Sparx's fear intensified.

"Ah! Spyro! She threatened to eat me, do something!" He flew behind Spyro's horn, who was still laying on the ground with Cynder.

"I don't know, Sparx, I might not around to protect you, and then..." Spyro imitated Sparx getting eaten, which caused Sparx to scream.

"Ah! I knew it! Mind control! She's controlling you! She's threatening to eat me, and your doing nothing! I-I've gotta go tell the others!" Sparx tried to fly away, but he crashed into a tree, Spyro rolled his eyes.

"Cynder, may you kindly get off of me?" He asked her as she smiled and did so, he kissed her on the cheek, and walked over to Sparx.

"Sparx, calm down, I'm not under anyone's control, what happened between us just...happened, you can't tell anyone" Spyro explained to the Dragonfly as Sparx flew up.

"Okay, okay, I'll keep your little lovey-dovey relationship a secret, but on one condition" Sparx told Spyro.

"Name it" he simply replied.

"Admit that I was right" Sparx told him, which confused the Purple Dragon.

"About what?" He asked as Sparx crossed his arms.

"You know what!" His statement made Spyro flash back to Sparx saying how it was only a matter of time until they fell in love.

"Sparx! Come on, does it really matter?" Spyro asked as Sparx nodded.

"Of course it is, I need confirmation that I am the superior life from" his reply made Cynder confused.

"Spyro, what's he talking about?" She asked as she walked over.

"Well, Sparx here betted that within a few weeks of training, we'd be in love, so I guess he was right" Spyro admitted as Sparx smirked.

"And it took you a day! I must say, when it comes to women, you have a low resilience" his statement earned him another growl from Cynder.

"Which is a good thing, I guess..." the Dragonfly trailed off as Cynder stepped back and coiled her tail around Spyros, who in turn smiled.

"Uh, all this mushiness and love is making me sick, just remember Spyro, if she does something to you, I warned you" Sparx gave one final glance and flew off.

"Do you think we can trust Sparx?" Cynder asked as Spyro shook his head.

"I'm not sure, Sparx is a fickle being, but the satisfaction of hearing he actually won an argument should be enough to shut his mouth" he replied as Cynder giggled.

"Let's hope so, we should probably head back, if either of our friends come looking for us, and they don't find us,they might figure something out" she suggested as Spyro agreed, their tails still coiled, they proceeded to head back, they eventually made it back and were forced to uncoil their tails, much to their regret.

"I guess I'll see you for training later today..." Cynder trailed off as Spyro nodded.

"Sure thing" he replied as Cynder smiled and kissed him on the cheek, and they entered back into the courtyard, going their separate ways for now...

Nero was standing by Cynder's door, tapping his claw with irritation.

_"Why is Cynder still asleep?" _He thought to himself, eventually he figured that enough was enough, and barged in, only to find no one in the room.

"What?" He was beyond confusion, where could she be? As he looked around, he saw nothing of interest, but just as he was about to leave, something caught his attention from the corner of his eye, a slip of paper, tucked in the corner, Nero made his way over, pushing aside various things that Cynder had owned and picked up the paper, opening it with interest, once he saw the message, he crushed the paper in rage.

_"She betrayed us!" _He growled as he slammed the door behind him, and went out to find Cynder and punish her...

Sparx was flying around the fields, trying to find himself something to eat.

_"Man, there's never anything good around here..." _Sparx sighed, until he was snatched by a Dragon.

"Ahh!" He cried as the culprit revealed himself to be Shard, with him where all of Spyro's friends.

"Oh hey guys, what the news?" He asked in a friendly tone, but they didn't share that kindness.

"Sparx, we know something was up, you didn't return for the whole night, where were you?" Flame questioned as Sparx crossed his arms.

"Nowhere, what's it to you?" He asked as Shard rolled his eyes.

"Sparx, it's pretty obvious that you followed Spyro, and saw something, what was it?" He interrogated the Dragonfly.

"I swore to not say anything, and that's that" Sparx was defiant as Shard grew impatient.

"Tell me, now!" Shard had lost all patience as Sparx yelped.

_"Oh Spyro, I hope you can forgive me for this" _and in fear of his own life, he started telling them what he saw...

Cynder was on her way to her quarters when she noticed something, all the Secondary Dragons were glaring at her, she thought nothing of it as she continued walking through the fields, then she saw Nero blocking her route, she tried to walk past, but Nero stopped her.

"Going somewhere?" He asked as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Is there a problem?" She asked in return as Nero pulled out a slip of paper.

"Why don't you explain this" Cynder froze when she discovered that was the letter Spyro had sent her.

"You betrayed us, Cynder! You sided with the Purple Dragon!" Nero snarled as Cynder growled in defense.

"I didn't betray anyone! Spyro's not all bad! And you know it!" Cynder snapped as Nero couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"I can't believe it, he's completely corrupted you, you even agree with his ideals!" Nero snarled as Cynder scratched his arm, causing him to roar in pain.

"More like she corrupted Spyro!" Cynder looked up to see Shard with Sparx in his hand, along with all of Spyro's friends.

"Sorry, they forced it out of me..." Sparx looked down in failure as Shard and the others landed on the ground.

"I knew this was going to happen, you tricked Spyro!" Shard growled as Cynder backed up in fear, but she grew more confident due to Spyro's training, Nero apparently was also keen on attacking her, so she made it clear for them to stay away, she blasted Shadow Fire between her and the other Dragons, but it was quickly burned out by a blast of purple energy, which left a greater mark in the ground, they all looked up to see Spyro flying over them.

"STAY AWAY FROM HER!" He landed onto the ground right in front of Cynder, letting her know she was safe, purple energy could still be seen glowing through his maw.

"But Spyro-" Flame was cut off as Spyro roared in such a way that all the surrounding Dragons backed away, his roar sounded like a menacing Dragon whose power shook the very Earth.

"NO! YOU LISTEN TO ME! HOW WE LIVE OUR LIVES IS NOT UP TO YOU!" Dark Energy coarsed around Spyro's body, his eyes were on the verge of turning pure white.

"Can't you see? We're in love, if Rose and Shard can love one another, why can't we?" Spyro's voice became much calmer as Cynder walked up beside him and coiled her tail around his, which shocked the others.

"If you can't accept it, then maybe our place isn't here, unless you digress" Spyro continued.

"Spyro, we trust you, it's her we don't trust" Terrain pointed out, which only made to increase Spyro's anger.

"Exactly my point! I...I can't do this! If you were my friends, you'd be supporting me with this, but it seems that was another lie that I was told, just like Cynder's true self" he spat as he had Cynder follow him, shoving everyone else out of the way.

"Where are we going, Spyro?" She asked as Spyro calmed down.

"I...I don't know, just away from them, come on, I know we won't be disturbed in my room" he replied as they walked through the temple, as Shard as the others stood there, Nero glanced at them.

"What are you looking at?" Flame snorted as Nero growled and stalked off, it was not long after that they saw Ignitus walking towards them.

"All of you: my office...now!" He sternly told them as they followed him...

"Of all the predictable things to happen, you Young Dragons have possibly dealt irreparable damage to those two" Ignitus paced from side to side as the Dragons tried to explain their reasoning, but Ignitus cut them off.

"Shard, I'm particularly disappointed in you the most, though I should've expected nothing less, you must understand that the bond Spyro an Cynder share is truly special" Ignitus told them as the others grew confused.

"What do you mean?" Flame asked.

"Something happened during your hatching, all those years ago, Spyro and Cynder were the first of the eggs to hatch, and something extraordinary took place, usually a Hatchling is imprinted by the first dragon they come into contact with, when they interact with an adult Dragon, they usually view them as a parental figure, but something uncommon happens when Hatchlings imprint themselves onto each other, you see, if they are not related, the Imprint can be powerful enough to overwrite their genetic code, and usually ends up giving the Dragons powerful emotional feelings for one another" Ignitus explained.

"So you mean...Spyro and Cynder's relationship, was completely genetically based?" Shard asked as Ignitus nodded.

"This gives them a huge emotional attraction to each other, and now that I think about it, it could probably be the reason why Cynder can wield multiple elements" Ignitus replied.

"Another thing that happens when an Imprint is made is on a Hatchling, a normal single element Dragon makes no effect on their powers, but Spyro is a Purple Dragon, capable of wielding multiple elements, it is possible that when the Imprint was made, Spyro could have also added the ability to master all Secondary Elements to her Genetics, further explaining her uncommon abilities" Ignitus continued.

"So...why did they hate each other?" Flare asked.

"It would seem that is a more difficult thing to answer, but some time during their younger days, the two Dragons suddenly had a falling out, and while I can't explain this, I'd have to say that it was the doing of Dark Magic, someone cast a spell over every Dragon, including Spyro and Cynder, which caused them to forget about all the memories they had, and someone...implanted memories into their minds, making Cynder despise Spyro, and with Spyro...being alone and confused as to why she did, but what I could never figure out, was why Incendia and myself were not affected by the spell, it is a mystery we still haven't solved. After many years, the spell seems to have worn off, at least on Spyro and Cynder, and while they still have no memory of their past, it would seem that all the romantic emotions that were surpressed for years are finally revealing themselves, which is why they had developed so quickly into a romantic relationship just a couple days after that fight in the arena, harming Spyro caused something inside of Cynder to break, presumably the spell, and it quickly altered her core of emotions, now, the two are inseparable" Ignitus kept on explaining.

"My only question is this: why would someone want to keep them apart?" Shard asked as Ignitus shook his head.

"I am as confused as you are, Young Dragon, but I have two theories, and I know that it was a Dragon that lives here, my first theory is this: the Dragon wanted to keep them apart for their own gain, or two: it could be an Agent of Malefor himself" Ignitus's suggestions shocked the Students.

"But-but why? Why would one of us work for Malefor?" Scatha was in disbelief.

"My only guess is that Malefor knew of Cynder's unique birth, and sought to keep the two most powerful Dragons in this Temple apart, and at odds with each other, possibly so his rule could be easier, he most likely feels threatened by their power, and did everything it took to keep them far away from each other, although he seems to have failed, as you've witnessed today, and while Spyro and Cynder still have yet to remember the past, their love is as strong as ever" Ignitus explained as Shard started feeling fairly guilty.

"Ignitus, I...I have to go apologize" he told him as Ignitus bent down and faced him.

"Very well, off you go" he dismissed Shard as he walked out of Ignitus's office and to Spyro's quarters, he knocked on the door, but no answer.

_"Is he even in there?" _He wondered as he opened the door.

"Spyro?" He called, no answer, then he saw what looked a letter on his bed, as he walked over to it and read it, his eyes widened.

_"Oh Shit" _he gulped, Spyro and Cynder...had run away.

**(Well, shit just escalated from 0 to 100 real quick, okay, now I don't want any haters complaining about pacing with this story, have you ever read Life and Love by Starwing13? It's a really good fellow Spynder story, and within the first chapter of the two meeting each other, they have romantic feelings for each other, and litterally two chapters later, they go to a dance and have their first kiss, so don't go complaining to me about pacing, btw, go check out that story I mentioned, anyways, peace!)**


	6. Chapter 6: Romeo and Juliet

**(So I've heard how some stories get forgotten by readers if they aren't updated in awhile, so I just hope that you guys don't forget this story, because I'm planning on making this the longest story ever, probably 70 chapters at best, and this story would be updated alongside other stories that I'm working on, also, a brand new poll is up on my profile, I suggest you check it out, as it gives you partial power to decide what I write next, anyways, enjoy!)**

Chapter 6: Romeo and Juliet

"They did what!?" Ignitus exclaimed as a Shard confirmed this.

"It's my fault, Ignitus, I...I got in the way" he replied as Ignitus sighed.

"I knew something like this would happen, that is why I didn't tell you the truth about the vision of Spyro and Cynder, now they've run off, two lovers, out in the world, in danger of being captured by Malefor's forces, and you Young Dragon, could have jeopardized our entire salvation" Ignitus explained as Shard looked at the ground in guilt.

"Well, we need to go find them, can't you sense where they are?" Flame asked as Ignitus shook his head.

"I'm afraid not, I can only sense Dragons within a certain range, Spyro and Cynder are too far out, you need to find them, I cannot come with, I must stay behind to conduct further investigations and see who the spy working for Malefor is, I can only provide the tools for you to find him" he walked back and showed them a small device.

"It's a compass..." Terrain trailed off.

"This is a unique compass, used to detect elemental Anomalies, and Spyro, being a purple dragon, should definitely be able to be tracked with the compass" Ignitus gave it to Shard.

"I promise that I'll bring back Spyro, whatever I need to do, I'll do it" he replied as Ignitus nodded.

"I'm holding you to that promise, Young Dragon" Ignitus informed Shard as they prepared to set out...

"I bet you won't be able to catch me!" Cynder challenged as Spyro smirked.

"Is that a challenge?" He replied as he chased the Dragoness through the clearing, and managed to crash into her, as they rolled across the ground and stopped, the two started laughing, and Cynder kissed Spyro on the lips, with the two melting into it, when she pulled back, she got off as Spyro stood up.

"We have to keep going, I know of a small village not far from here, it should be a few days voyage, if your willing" he explained as Cynder smiled.

"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't willing" she replied, the two Dragons stood there, gazing into each other's eyes, **(look, I know I keep bringing this up, but seriously, I'm pretty flipping proud of my explanation for why they fell in love so fast, and I don't say I'm proud that much)** they always felt something special about each other, but they didn't know what it was, now they did, it was love, as they kept walking through the forest, their tails coiled, the sun shined brightly on them, eventually Cynder's stomach started rumbling.

"Hungry, are we?" Spyro asked wittingly as Cynder smiled in embarrassment.

"It's fine, I'll find us something to eat, unless you want to help me" Spyro told her, and she nodded delightfully.

"I'd love to help, I wasn't really taught how to hunt" Cynder's statement surprised Spyro.

"Really? But you did a perfect hunter's crouch when we were practicing your poison" he replied.

"Really? I never noticed, I guess it just...felt right to do" Cynder told him as he led the way.

"It's okay, I'll teach you how, I've been taught well enough" Spyro led her along through the forest.

"With that deer you caught, I don't doubt your words" Cynder's reply made Spyro blush as they eventually found a suitable target, an antelope.

"Alright, just watch me" Spyro instructed Cynder as she stood back and watched as he prowled up to the antelope, making sure he was downwind, and he suddenly pounced on the antelope, biting into it's jugular, killing it, Cynder was impressed with his apparent ease and grace with hunting the antelope.

"Where'd you learn to hunt like that?" She asked as Spyro let go of the Antelope's neck.

"Terrador took some of his off-time to help teach me the basics of hunting, and I kinda branched off from that, so to speak, here, you want to know how?" Spyro offered as Cynder smiled and nodded.

"Okay, just lower yourself like this" Spyro had Cynder mimic his crouch.

"Now, next thing you want to do is check for the air direction, if it's downwind, that means the hunt should be easier, always make sure you are downwind, because if not, the breeze can carry your scent to the nose of the prey, and it could run off as a result, you with me so far?" Spyro explained as Cynder nodded, just then they heard a rustle in the bushes, and saw a squirrel.

"Ha! A convenient first catch, let's see if you remember what I taught you" Spyro instructed as Cynder stayed low to the ground, and she creeped up onto the squirrel, however the wind was not in her favor, as it blew past her, and at the squirrel, who immediately cocked it's head upright, and ran off.

"Argh!" Cynder groaned as Spyro chuckled.

"It's fine, This is your first time, I'll say, if the wind was downwind, you would've definitely caughten that squirrel" he encouraged her as she smiled.

"Come on, let's eat" Spyro gestured for Cynder to follow him back to the Antelope, to which she did, and the two of them began eating their meal.

"Spyro? How are you so lucky? This Antelope is amazing! First the deer and now this, you must have a keen sense for these things" Cynder told him while she ate.

"Don't know, guess it's just that: luck" he replied, after some time, they had finished their meal, and they decided to set out again.

"Spyro? I have a question" Cynder said as he looked back in curiosity.

"Go on..." he gestured as Cynder asked it.

"This feels kinda odd to say, but...why did we fall for each other so quickly, I thought my entire life I hated you, but now...I feel the opposite" she explained as Spyro shared her confusion.

"I don't know, but being together just feels...it feels right, wouldn't you say?" Spyro responded as Cynder smiled and nuzzled him.

"I do" she agreed as they kept walking through the forest, and they eventually saw the sun setting, and decided to rest.

"Come on, that looks like a decent place to rest" Spyro pointed to an area by a tree, and the two walked over and sat down, curled up, and fell asleep...

"Remind me why we decided to leave in the night" Terrain asked as Shard sighed.

"If we can find Spyro and Cynder while they're still asleep, we have an easier chance of bringing them back sooner, and that equals a less difficult time for us" he replied as Rose walked beside him.

"Yeah, but Shard, haven't you heard about the creatures that come out at night? They are quite poisonous and deadly" Alastor was cut off by Terra.

"What he means is that it's dangerous to be out in the open, we're exposed" she explained as Shard looked unsure.

"I...I know, but that means it's also dangerous for Spyro and Cynder, we've a better chance to survive, we're a big group, Spyro and Cynder are two dragons" he told them.

"Don't you mean the two most powerful Dragons of all us?" Flame asked rhetorically as Shard gave him a glare.

"I failed Spyro by not being his friend, now it's up to me to bring them back" Shard told them of his self-placed responsibility, and Rose coiled her tail around his.

"Then we'll follow you, all the way" she responded as they kept traveling through the dark and gloomy forest.

"If Spyro's smart, he and Cynder will seek shelter, the creatures are less likely to attack them" Alastor pointed out as Terrain groaned.

"And you couldn't have pointed this out sooner?" He asked as Alastor shrugged.

"It just occurred to me"

"Quiet, both of you...do you hear that?" Shard asked as they all stood in a defensive circle, strange noises were being made all around them.

"Yeah, definitely" Flare replied as they prepared for what could possibly be a big fight, suddenly a creature leaped from the bushes and onto Shard.

"Ahh!" He backed up and fell to the ground as more creatures emerged, Venom was dripping from their mouths.

"Just as I said: Poisonous" Alastor's remark earned him a slap on the shoulder from Flame, and they started fighting, Meanwhile, with Shard, he was struggling to keep the creatures jaw from any part of him, eventually he gained the upper hand and kicked it into the air, causing it to land on the ground beside him, Shard immediately stood up and punched it in the face, and froze it solid, and moved to join the others, who were managing fairly well, Flame and Flare were using their Fire in a very defensive manner, while Alastor and Terra were able to use their Earth and Lightning attacks together, almost simultaneously. Terrain and Scatha used their Earth elements and could keep them at range, Shard quickly moved to Rose.

"You wanna try that move we were rehearsing at practice?" She suggested as Shard nodded confidently, in response, Rose leaned down low and blasted fear in the creatures face, allowing Shard to flip over her and use his ice as the finishing blow, and punched the frozen creature in the jaw, breaking it and the ice, as the ice prison broke apart, the creature immediately moved away in pain, retreating.

_"That's one..." _Shard thought to himself as he turned to see the other creatures being taken out, and were forced to retreat.

"Yeah! That's right! Run!" Flame mocked as Flare gave him a look.

"We did it perfectly" Shard said to Rose as she smiled.

"Yeah we did" she replied as the others regained their bearings.

"Guys, we can't stay out in the open, like it or not, we have to find shelter and rest for the night, we can continue the search for Spyro and Cynder in the morning, sound good?" Flame explained as Shard sighed.

"Fine, but us resting could give the two of them more time, and they'll be farther out" he responded as Flame rolled his eyes.

"Shard, they have to rest too, you know, if I know Spyro, he's probably fast asleep by now, with Cynder at his side..." he said the last part with a bit of spite in his tone.

"Oh you hush up, it's Spyro's decision on who he likes, and he likes someone that the rest of us couldn't trust" Flare's statement caused a silence to draw upon the Dragons.

"Yeah, a lack of trust that was implanted into all of us, and that's something we need to rectify, and if Malefor finds them first, it'll be our fault" Shard reminded them as they moved to the shelter of a few trees.

"Well, we can make our camp of sorts here for the night, it's viable enough to work, so make yourselves comfortable" Shard informed them as the Dragons all slept with their respective lovers, and Shard curled up next to Rose.

_"I'm on my way, Spyro..." _he thought to himself as he drifted off.

**(Hello y'all, sorry for the shorter than usual chapter, but I figured I could get this out, and then prepare for finals next week, speaking of which, that is an activity that will probably be the reason I won't post any chapters or stories in general over the course of next week, also, again I say, new poll up on my profile, take a look, anyways, Peace!)**


	7. Chapter 7: the Trials of Ignitus

Chapter 7: The Trials Of Ignitus

Nero paced from side-to-side in his quarters.

_"How could Cynder betray us like this?" _he grumbled in his thoughts as he looked at the letter that the Purple Dragon had given her, then he remembered how the two of them had admitted their love, was it betrayal? Or something more...he didn't know, he was then snapped from his thoughts when he saw that Ignitus had summoned all the students to meet at the Courtyard.

_"Hmm, What could that be about?" _He wondered as he walked alongside the other Dragons, as they arrived, Nero saw that both Primary and Secondary teachers were there, and he was given a spot to sit at by Electra, who then walked over to Volteer, and sat down, retaining a stern glare over the students, as Nero looked around in uncertainty, he saw Ignitus walk up in front of them all.

"Young Dragons, I have called you all here for a very important and dire announcement, I have already informed all your teachers, but I shall be the bearer of news for you" he explained as Nero cocked his head sideways in confusion.

"We all know about Spyro and Cynder, and it would seem...that they have disappeared" Ignitus's statement sent panic throughout the students.

"However, do not fear, as we have sent a team to search for them, in the meantime, I have my own business to deal with, I have reason to believe that one of us...is a spy working for Malefor" this bombshell shocked Nero.

_"A spy!? Here? It must be...wait no...who could it be" _Nero was confused as Ignitus paced from side to side.

"Right now, with Spyro and Cynder gone, I'm staying behind to run a set of "trials" if you will, to determine who the spy could be, until you are called, you are required to stay on the courtyard, no exceptions, understand?" Ignitus asked as the students nodded in understanding.

"Alright, Incendia, the list" he asked for it as she handed it to him.

"We'll go Alphabetically, so let's start: Agna, come along" Ignitus called out the Fire Dragoness as she walked with the Guardian into his office, leaving the students to themselves.

"A spy? Who could it be?" A Wind Dragon asked Nero as he shrugged.

"Don't ask me, like I know, I'm as confused as you are" Nero gave an honest response as the Wind Dragon walked off, leaving Nero by himself.

_"Wait...if Spyro and Cynder are gone...oh no!" _Nero realized what could happen, and tried to warn Ignitus, but he was blocked by Terrador.

"Now Young Dragon, what's the rush?" He asked suspiciously.

"I need to speak to Ignitus, it's urgent, please, it could judge our entire survival" Nero's urgency made Terrador decide to just let him through.

"Thank you..." he trailed off as he ran towards Ignitus's office, he burst in, and saw Ignitus look at him.

"What is it? Young Dragon?" He stood up.

"Ignitus, if the spy is here, and it's not her, you could've given them enough time to send a signal to Malefor to attack" Nero was out of breath as Ignitus realized the situation.

"Quickly, we must-" Ignitus was cut off as a rumble was sent through the entire Temple.

"Oh no..." Nero trailed off as they all ran outside, only to see masses of Apes were breaking through the protective walls of the Temple.

"Quick, get the Students out of here!" Ignitus told Cyril and Volteer as they prepared to move them, but the students refused.

"No! Let us fight!" They protested as Ignitus sighed.

"Alright, just be prepared to fight, here they come!" Ignitus prepared them as they prepared to clash...

Spyro's eyes squinted open as he saw Cynder, who was drinking from a nearby stream, he stood up and stretched, and walked over to her, who smiled when she saw him.

"What kept you?" She asked wittingly as Spyro smirked.

"I was just enjoying watching you, your very beautiful" his comment made her blush.

"Spyro!" She said embarrassed, and surprised at the prospect of having been outwitted by Spyro.

"No, I mean it, your beautiful" he replied, and Cynder's stomach growled.

"I take it your hungry" he smirked as Cynder nodded a little.

"Yeah..."

"Don't worry, we're not far from the village anyways" he told her as they started walking, suddenly they felt a rumble in the ground, and Spyro looked over to see a mass of what looked like Apes were charging in their direction.

"Quick, move!" He pushed her out of the way and the two of them rolled under a large bush, and watched as they ran past them, with Cynder staying close to Spyro, after they left, the two Dragons walked back out into the open.

"That doesn't look good..." Cynder trailed off, suddenly Spyro was blasted in the back by an Ape's weapon.

"Spyro!" She cried as the Ape tried to attack her, but she kicked him away.

"Stay back!" She snarled as she guarded Spyro.

"Malefor will reward me for this!" He chuckled as he drew his weapon.

"Don't count on it!" Cynder looked up to see none other than Shard charging into him, clawing his arm.

"Get Spyro out of here!" He told her as she dragged Spyro back, only to see his other friends, immediately she looked a little scared.

"Listen, we forgive you, we'll talk about this later, just bring him over" Flame told her reassuringly as Cynder looked a little better and handed him over to Flare, who kept a grip on him, causing Cynder to instinctively growl a little, but thankfully no one heard it, eventually Shard managed to push back the Ape and froze him solid.

"There we go, come on, we need to get back to the Temple" Shard told Cynder immediately.

"But why?" She asked.

"Look we'll explain everything later, but what you do need to know was that your hatred of Spyro was not natural, and that we trust you, come on" Shard explained as Cynder seemed surprised, and helped Spyro get back on his feet.

"I don't know what was up with those Apes, but I think that it's best that we return to the Temple and tell Ignitus" Alastor told them as Spyro weakly looked up.

"Shard..." he trailed off as Shard looked back at him.

"Spyro...I'm sorry, I should've supported you, I don't expect any forgiveness, but we need you...Ignitus needs you" he replied.

"No Shard, I'm sorry, we...we love each other, and that was something that we didn't want to tell you" Spyro told him as Cynder nuzzled him.

"You really do love each other..." Flare absolutely adored the wholesomeness of it all, then a thought popped into Cynder's head.

"Guys, did you notice the direction those apes were going?" She asked them as Shard looked at her.

"No? Why?" He asked in return.

"They were going to the Temple..." her response made Shard's eyes widen.

"Wait...the Spy! We need to go, now!" Flame exclaimed as Shard had Spyro stand up and they charged in the direction of the Temple...

"Don't let up!" Nero heard Terrador yell as they kept fighting the Apes, he bit into an ape's neck, and tossed him into more apes, it seemed like the battle was going in their favor, but then those hopes were vanquished when they looked at the sky, and saw a large purple dragon flying down to them.

"Malefor..." Ignitus muttered as he landed, the other Guardians tried to attack, but he swiped them aside with ease, Ignitus charged at him and tried to take him down.

"Ah Ignitus! How I've missed that fighting spirit!" Malefor said wittingly as he slammed him into the ground.

"Where's your savior now, old fool?" He sneered at Ignitus.

"Spyro will stop you...him and Cynder" he replied as Malefor laughed.

"The Dragoness, I'll kill her, and then the other Purple Dragon, and I'll make you watch it all!" He grinned evilly as he smashed Ignitus's face into the grass, then Malefor was rammed in the side by Volteer.

"Ha Ha! Volteer, my former comrade, how pleasant it is to see you! How's Electra?" He asked in a threatening tone as Volteer roared and tried to blast him with electricity, but Malefor merely absorbed the blast and returned it onto the Guardian, causing him to soar into the air, however, Volteer managed to catch himself midair and flew back down.

"You won't get near her!" He snarled at Malefor, and tried to attack again, but Malefor grabbed him by the horns and threw him into a nearby wall.

"And who will stop me? You? Don't be serious" he laughed, and came across Cyril.

"Out of my way, slime" Malefor said in a very confident tone, which caused Cyril to growl.

"How dare you! I am birthed from-" he was cut off by Malefor's long paced yawn.

"Ugh, your speeches bore me, no wonder Volteer can't stand you..." he said as he froze Cyril solid, and moved along to Terrador.

"Stay back, Malefor, I won't warn you a second time..." he growled, causing Malefor to laugh.

"Ha! Don't make me laugh...oh wait...you already did, a pity, move aside worm..." he swatted Terrador aside like it was nothing, and came across the Guardians' mates.

"Submit, unless you wish to die..." Malefor ordered as none of them backed down.

"I would rather die than serve you!" Gaia snarled at Malefor, who seemingly sighed in disappointment.

"As you wish..." he grinned as he started to attack them each, with the Dragonesses actually being able to hold their own, however, eventually Malefor was able to overpower each of them, but immediately after that, Ignitus lept onto his back.

"Argh! Your persistent, Ignitus, I'll give you that..." he grabbed the Fire Guardian and slammed him into the ground.

"And that is something we cannot have..." he charged up his Aether breath, prepared to finish Ignitus, when he turned to see Incendia leaping at him, scratching down his face.

"AGH!!!" Malefor roared as Incendia landed on the ground, shielding Ignitus.

"Get away from him!" She threatened as Malefor felt his face, and saw blood dripping from the scratch mark, and stood up, smiling evilly.

"Oh, I like you...such hatred..." he charged at her, and the two interlocked in an intense battle, both of them received major wounds from the fight, Malefor managed to burn Incendia's shoulder, while she landed a more critical blow by biting into his shoulder, the two tumbled across the ground, and Ignitus was unable to do anything about it, instead he moved to thaw out Cyril from the ice prison that Malefor made for him, as he thawed out, Cyril fell onto the ground sideways, unconscious.

"That's it, fight me!" Malefor goaded Incendia as her rage was brewing even further, she grabbed his head and slammed it into the ground and and she used her fire breath on his face, only to be shocked when he appeared unharmed, he laughed menacingly.

"Is that the best you can do, I expected more from the mate of Ignitus..." Malefor was quickly corrected as Incendia slashed his shoulder, and held him down, prepared to take the finishing blow.

"Yes...kill me, kill me and you can end this conflict right here and now..." he continued to goad her.

"Incendia! Don't, if you kill him, your no better than he is!" She looked back to see Ignitus pleading with her not to do it, but then she looked down and saw Malefor's confident face.

"Do it!" **(In a very Palpatine voice)** he practically commanded as Incendia gave in and snapped his neck.

"It's over..." she turned around to face a distraught Ignitus, but his distraught was changed to utter horror and a hand came straight through her chest.

"Ack!" She choked as the supposedly dead Malefor dispersed and the real one appeared behind her, having impaled her with his arm.

"Such heroic nonsense..." he smirked.

"Incendia! NO!!!!!!!" Ignitus cried as tears swelled in his eyes, and Incendia mouthed the words 'I love you', and Malefor removed his hand and watched as she dropped to the ground, dead.

"I told you I'd make you watch as I tore your world apart, and I meant it" he told him as the other Dragonesses looked in horror, the rage inside of Ignitus swelled to a bursting point as he roared and leaped at Malefor, who backhanded him onto the ground, landing next to Incendia, finally out of strength, Ignitus crawled to her mate and laid his head on her in sorrow and pain, with Malefor walking up to them.

"You're weak, Ignitus, you've always been weak, I would kill you right now, if I didn't have much more exciting things planned for you..." he trailed off and watched as the Apes finally overpowered the other Students, with them all being trapped and shackled.

"The Temple is ours!" Malefor announced as they moved their new prisoners into the Temple.

"It's been years since I've been here, I hope my old throne is still intact..." he informed a weak Ignitus, who was also shackled alongside the other Guardians and their mates.

"Sir, what about her?" An Ape asked about Incendia's body.

"Leave it, we'll make an example of her later" Malefor told him as the Ape saluted and rejoined the others and escorted the prisoners inside, Malefor himself walked down the halls he once roamed, and found his old throne, sitting in the center of the room, and he sat down in it, feeling relieved to have his power truly back, now he only needed to wait for the Purple Dragon...

"Come on! We're almost there!" Shard told the others as they raced towards the temple.

"Cynder, just remember, I'll protect you" Spyro reassured her as she smirked.

"I can handle myself, I learned that from you" she replied as they finally arrived at the Temple, and what they saw horrified them, the Temple had been besieged.

"We're too late!" Spyro said as they all stood there.

_"This is all my fault..." _he thought guiltily, Malefor had won...for now.

**(What's up my dudes, this is the last chapter I can upload before finals, so I hope that this rocks you to the core or something...I don't know, bye)**


	8. Chapter 8: a Traitor Revealed

Chapter 8: a traitor revealed

"What have they done?" Shard was in utter shock as they walked through the courtyard, Ape bodies littered the ground.

"Malefor has desecrated the Temple, we need to-" Flare stopped dead when she looked ahead, Spyro looked in her direction, and shared her horror, there in front of them...was Incendia.

"Oh Ancestors...Mom!" Flare cried as she sped forward, with Spyro close behind, as they ran up to her corpse and saw the damage done, there was a massive hole in her chest, fresh blood was still dripping from her mouth.

"Mom, no! Please no!" Flare started crying as she held her cold paw and hung her head, Spyro also started forming tears, Incendia treated him like his own mother.

"This...this is my fault..." Spyro backed away from the others.

"Spyro, please, this isn't because of you" Cynder tried to reason with him, but Spyro shoved her away.

"No! No, I did this! If I wasn't so impulsive, this wouldn't have happened! I'm a monster...I don't deserve to even be alive here" Spyro started crying more and more as he backed further away.

"Spyro...listen to me, Malefor did this, not you" Shard also tried convincing him otherwise, but Spyro wouldn't allow it.

"I should never have come back...just leave me alone!" He cried as he ran off.

"Spyro!" Cynder tried to go after, but Shard stopped him.

"Woah, hold on...he just needs time to himself" he told her, but Cynder kept at it.

"No! He needs me!" She protested as Shard remembered the genetic link that formed their relationship, it was only safe to assume that when certain circumstances arose, one of them yearned for the other, right now, Cynder needed Spyro.

"Cynder, please...just let him go, he'll be back" Shard finally managed to calm her down.

"Please...can someone go to him?" She asked weakly.

"I'll go..." they turned to see Flare walking solemnly past them.

"I can talk to Spyro, I'm the closest thing he has to a sister, just wait here..." she explained as she pursued Spyro...

Speaking of Spyro, the Purple Dragon was still on the run, tears flooded his eyes, as soon as he was certain he was far enough, he laid down and started to cry beside a hillside.

_"It's all my fault...I'm no hero..." _He thought to himself, he then heard a rustle from behind, he looked back and saw Flare.

"I was certain you'd hate me..." Spyro trailed off as Flare walked over to him.

"I don't hate you, it wasn't your fault" she sat down beside him and coiled her tail around his in a sibling-like manner **(Yeah, in this universe, Siblings or Dragons who feel as close as siblings also coil their tails to represent the bond of family with each other)**.

"Flare, I don't deserve to be here, I failed" Spyro replied as Flare nuzzled him **(again, in a sibling-like manner, don't get any funny ideas, I'm looking at you, Carl)**.

"Spyro, you deserve to be here more than any of us, your the purple dragon, it's your destiny to save the world, and...it's your destiny to be with Cynder" Flare said that with a sort of hurt tone, which surprised Spyro.

"Flare...did you ever like me? And I mean like like?" He asked as she nodded.

"It was a long time ago, I used to have a crush on you, a big one, I know we were basically siblings in a way, since Ignitus personally decided to raise you, but...I couldn't help it, but then...I found Flame, and I suppose he was who I needed, I know that you and Cynder were meant to be together, and I respect that and fully support you, but I always wondered..what it would be like...to kiss you" Flare explained with embarrassment at the last part, which shocked Spyro.

"You...felt that deeply about me?" He asked as she nodded, seemingly ashamed, Spyro felt sympathetic for her, and decided he'd give her what she wanted, he lifted her head and kissed her on the lips, surprising her, but she melted into it, eventually they pulled back.

"I...didn't think you'd do that" Flare trailed off as Spyro stood up.

"You wanted to know, jut remember, we're not a thing, okay? And not a word to Cynder or Flame" he made it clear as Flare nodded.

"Yeah, definitely..." she replied as they walked back to the Temple. As they returned, Spyro was overwhelmed by Cynder as she ran to him and nuzzled him uncontrollably.

"Oh Spyro...don't scare me like that!" She scolded him as he laughed.

"I'm fine..." he replied as Shard walked up to him.

"Hey, I'm sorry..." he trailed off as Shard shook his head.

"It's never your fault, come on" he reassured Spyro as they walked back to Incendia's corpse.

"What should we do with her?" Flame asked.

"We bury her, but not until Malefor is gone..." Spyro told them as he looked more determined then before, they were prepared to enter when Shard walked up to Spyro.

"What are you going to do about Malefor?" He asked as Spyro looked back him.

"I don't know, I could kill him, I could merely defeat him and force him to retreat, either way, he's not staying in our home" he replied as they entered the Temple, as they entered, they could smell the stench of Ape looming throughout it's halls.

"We should be on guard, we never know what's around the corner" Shard whispered, as soon as he turned, an Ape showed up, startled by it's sudden appearance, Shard froze the Ape solid before it could call for reinforcements.

"Phew...come on" he continued as they kept going, treading through the halls...

"Malefor! I have urgent news!" An Ape rushed into his throne room as the Dark Master sighed.

"Yes, What is it?" He asked with low patience, the Ape then pulled out an orb and it projected a vision.

"We have some visitors" he told Malefor as the projection showed Spyro and the others walking though the halls.

"Hmm, excellent, the spy has been a reliable source, although I suggest it's time for them to reveal themselves" he informed the Ape as he saluted and ran out of the throne room.

_"Let them come, it'll make it easier to kill them" _Malefor grinned...

Spyro and Shard were walking through the hall at the front of the group, with Cynder and Rose not far behind.

"Hold on, let me inspect the place" Spyro informed Shard as he looked over the corner...nothing.

"It looks clear..." he turned to Shard, who signaled the others as they moved around, and kept going, surprisingly there was no resistance to them.

_"This feels...a little too easy" _Spyro thought to himself as they eventually came across a new addition to the Temple, an outside staircase that led up to a domed room that was levitating.

"Malefor...he did this" Flame told him as Spyro gave a sarcastic look.

"Thanks, Captain Obvious, come on" he replied as they were prepared to walk up the stairs, when something happened, Rose dropkicked Spyro onto the ground and punched Shard to the ground, she then flew in front of them and started growling.

"What the-!? What are you doing, Rose?" Shard demanded an answer as Cynder moved to help Spyro, then it suddenly clicked...

"Your...your the spy!?" Shard was abysmal as Rose's friendly demeanor suddenly changed to a more sinister voice.

"Oh silly me, yes I am, and you all fell for it, especially you Shard, you were the biggest fool of them all!" She snarled as Shard looked down in sorrow.

"But I...I thought you loved me..." he trailed off as Rose laughed again.

"Idiot! It's called using you, and you fell for it hook, line, and sinker, I needed to get close enough to Spyro to initiate his memory purge, but Secondary Dragons were never trusted enough, so I found you, and oh, you were so gullible, I never loved you! It's called acting" as she said this, Shard started tearing up.

"How could you do this to Shard!? He loved you, he gave a Damn about you!" Flare snarled as Rose shrugged.

"I have a higher calling..." she looked up at the floating room.

"And if you want to get to Malefor, you'll have to go through me!" She grinned, it was then that Shard stood up.

"No...Flare, you take Flame and the others to free the other Dragons, Spyro, you and Cynder need to face Malefor" he told them as Flare took the others away, but Spyro took another look at him.

"What about you?" He asked as he retained a glare at Rose.

"I need to rectify this..." Shard said with a small tear rolling down his face.

"Ha ha! Bring it!" Rose roared as she lept at the Ice Dragon, allowing Spyro and Cynder to head further up the stairs, Shard rammed himself into Rose as the two tumbled off the side of the stairs and onto the pavement below, with Shard biting at Rose, and scratching her shoulder.

"I thought we had something special!" He roared as he kicked her in the stomach, causing her to fly up into the air, but she stopped herself midflight

"Oh did we? Too bad!" She retorted as their battle grew more aggressive...

Spyro and Cynder managed to make it to the top of the stairs and they saw the large door.

"You ready for this?" He asked Cynder as she looked unsure.

"Spyro...I'm scared" she said as Spyro held her by the chin with his paw.

"Just stay close to me" he told her, his amethyst eyes emitting a sense of safety for the Dragoness, she nodded and stayed close to him as they opened the door, and saw _him_...

"At long last, my guests have arrived, please, make yourselves comfortable" Malefor stepped off what looked like a throne.

"Oh Ignitus, we have some visitors" Malefor grinned as he used some sort of magic to lower what looked like a cage, and the Fire Guardian was inside of it.

"Ignitus!" Spyro called to him, as he looked up to see the Purple Dragon, his eyes lit up with hope.

"Young Dragon! Thank the Ancestors your safe" he said, causing Malefor to groan.

"Ugh, this reunion is touching and all, but don't come between me and the unworthy successor of me" he snarled at Ignitus as he used Dark Magic to torture Ignitus.

"No!" Spyro cried as he tried to leap for him, but Malefor froze him midair, and merely tossed him into the wall.

"Seriously, your supposed to be the Second Purple Dragon? You don't even look the part" he sneered as Cynder moved to defend Spyro from Malefor.

"Ah, the lovebird, I remember you, the special Shadow egg" Malefor sighed as Cynder growled.

"You don't know anything about me!" She snarled as Malefor laughed.

"Oh no, it is you who know nothing! I manipulated you from birth, my mark remains on you, did you ever wonder why you had those markings on your hips and shoulders?" Malefor brought up Cynder's white markings.

"No! That couldn't be you!" She protested.

"Oh but they are, your abilities may have come from Spyro, but I alone control you" Malefor smirked as Cynder grew confused.

"What are you talking about?" She demanded an answer as Malefor looked to Ignitus.

"You mean you didn't tell them? Oh Ignitus, what a disappointment..." he looked back to Cynder.

"He never told you about the imprint? Or how your memories were purged? Or the fact that you and Spyro share an uncontrollable love for each other, and how the imprint created a strong sexual desire to be with one another? Because that's what he should've told you, and as for you Spyro" Malefor looked at the Purple Dragon laying on the ground.

"I'm sure Ignitus didn't have the audacity to tell you how I murdered your parents in cold blood, he probably couldn't come to terms with it himself" the three of them looked back at Ignitus, who retained a shameful expression.

"I'm sorry, Young Dragon..." he trailed off as Malefor laughed.

"So many secrets, such little answers, but, I was getting off topic, now...where were we?" He turned and closed his fist, Dark Magic emulating from it, immediately Cynder started screaming in pain.

"Cynder!" Spyro tried to go to her, but Malefor froze him in place again.

"Foolish child! She's mine now!" He laughed evilly as Cynder's eyes turned white, without pupils, and her body started glowing black with energy flowing from her body, Spyro backed away as she walked up to him and scratched him along the face.

"Argh!" He yelled in pain as Malefor cackled, and Spyro held back Cynder.

"I won't fight her! You can't make me!" Spyro snarled at Malefor as he grinned.

"Oh I'm afraid that not even your love for her is strong enough to save her, if you will not fight, she will kill you" he replied as Spyro kept holding Cynder back, who forced him onto the ground, trying to take a bite at his neck, as this was happening, Malefor turned back to Ignitus and smirked.

"Now let's destroy what you still have left" he said to the weakened Fire Guardian.

"Cynder! Snap out it!" Spyro tried to convince her, but she retained a stone cold glare, eventually she raised her sharp scythe-tipped tail, and stabbed Spyro through the shoulder.

"AGH!!!!!" He screamed in pain as Malefor turned back.

"Oh I almost missed the good part, kill him, kill him now!" He was goading Cynder as she removed her tail blade from his shoulder, and was aiming it right for his chest, Spyro saw this and managed to stop the tip from reaching his chest, but it was slowly closing in, Spyro showed a fair bit of worry as he noticed Cynder swiped her claws across his face to distract him, scarring him.

"Argh! Cynder! Don't do this!" He pleaded for his life to her as the tail blade was beginning to puncture his flesh, Spyro didn't know what to do, he didn't want to hurt her, but she didn't share that thought, eventually her tail blade started going through the deeper layers of his flesh as blood started to come from his chest and drip from his mouth.

"Spyro! No!" Ignitus roared as his mouth illuminated with flames and he burst from his cage, which surprised Malefor as he rammed into him.

"I won't let you kill him!" Ignitus snarled as Malefor laughed.

"Then you should be stopping her" he pointed at Cynder, but Ignitus didn't budge.

"If I break your concentration, I'll severe the connection, don't think I didn't study the laws of Magic, we were trained by the same Dragon" Ignitus replied, causing Malefor to roar and toss him off.

"Hazan was an old fool!" Malefor charged into the Fire Guardian as they engaged in combat, flying out of the building, meanwhile with Spyro and Cynder, the Purple Dragon wasn't able to hold back much longer, so he did the most non-lethal attack, he managed to kick Cynder off with his hind leg, and she tumbled in front of him, allowing him to stand up, as he stood up, he stumbled a little because of his shoulder.

"Cynder, I won't fight you! I never will, I love you with all my heart and soul" Spyro told her as she lept onto him, ready to deliver the killing blow, but then Spyro decided he'd go out with a bang of sorts, and kissed Cynder on the lips, stopping her mid-strike, she was fazed by this, but stayed black, and Spyro lowered his head back to the ground, waiting for the blow...but it never came, when he opened his eyes, Cynder pulled him into a kiss, and he melted into it, as they stayed there, the Dark energy surrounding her faded, and they pulled back.

"Spyro...What...did I do this?" She looked the cuts and bruises he had received, the wound in his shoulder, and the still bleeding scar running down across his eye, which remained intact as it was closed when she scratched.

"Cynder, you didn't do this...He did" Spyro pointed up at Malefor as he threw Ignitus onto the ground and he slid across right in front of them, he immediately stood up, looking determined, and then gazed behind him to see Spyro.

"Young Dragon, your alive..." he smiled and nuzzled Spyro, whom reminded him of his own son.

"Ignitus, I'm so sorry about Incendia" he told the Fire Guardian as he looked down.

"Yes well...we can't disgrace her memory, so we fight" he turned to see Malefor landing.

"Ready for round two?" Malefor he grinned as they engaged in combat.

**(Phew! Finally done, I'm done with finals and this chapter and this felt great, so with that out of the way, I've gotta start writing Worlds of the Pasts, and I'm gonna go see that new Star Wars Movie now, so peace!)**


	9. Chapter 9: Overwhelming odds

**(So I discovered another song, let me down slowly by Benjamin Alec, and the message I'm getting is oddly enough, reminding me of Spyro and Cynder, and how they can't live without each other, at least in this story, and this gives me a lot of ideas, like maybe a temporary breakup, but it's still all on the drawing board, I never said I'd go through with it, also, there could be a possible lemon a few chapters from now, and I mean, let's be honest, if I'm working towards 70 chapters, or maybe more than that, I can't write a story this long without some 18 content happening, that just makes things a little odd, although I've seen stories do this, it just doesn't feel right, plus a fair bit of you have spoken about wanting me to do so, so why not? Also, from this point out, the story will contain intense gore at certain points, you know, like when Incendia was flipping impaled by Malefor's hand, or when Spyro's shoulder was stabbed by corrupted Cynder, anyways, enjoy!)**

Chapter 9: Overwhelming odds

Shard had just kicked Rose in the stomach when he turned back to see a beam of purple light emit from the building that Spyro and Cynder had entered, he was distracted long enough for Rose to leap onto him, teeth bared.

"After I kill you...I'll kill all of your friends" she grinned menacingly.

"I thought I knew you..." Shard trailed off as he punched her in the face, and looked up, he hoped that Spyro could stop this...

* * *

"Argh!" Spyro was blasted into the wall as Malefor tackled Ignitus to the ground, meanwhile, Cynder ran to his side.

"Spyro! You can't fight this battle!" She tried to convince him as he stood up.

"Ahh! No...I can fight..." he groaned, Cynder winced at the sound, the effort was killing him just to stand, she helped him stand as he staggered.

"Please...don't fight...do it for me" she managed to convince him to lay down.

"Cynder...I'm supposed to fight him, Ignitus told me it was my destiny to defeat Malefor" Spyro replied as Cynder looked at Ignitus, who was still struggling.

"Trust me, you'll be able to strike the final blow" she reassured him as she ran into the fray, leaping onto Malefor's back, who was also dealing with Ignitus, and started lacing him with her poison, eventually Malefor kicked away Ignitus and reached for Cynder.

"Pest!" He growled as he grabbed her and threw her into the wall as high velocity.

"You should've stood with me when you had the chance" he growled as Cynder looked up.

"Fat chance..." she retorted as Malefor rolled his eyes.

"If your referring to the poison..." he placed his hand on the spot she infected, and somehow physically drew out the poison, holding it in it's gooish state and letting it drop the floor.

"Your powers have no effect on me, oh well, I tried..." he was about to use his fire breath on Cynder, when Ignitus crashed back into him.

"Stay down, don't make me hurt you!" He said to Malefor, who merely laughed.

"You? Harm me? That's a good one" he replied smugly as he kicked the Fire Guardian off of him.

"I cannot be beaten, nor betrayed" Malefor said as he stood up, glaring at Ignitus.

"I will not let you succeed, Malefor, your darkness ends here" Ignitus snarled as the Dark Master retained a grin.

"You really are funny...I DON'T NEED YOUR PERMISSION TO DO ANYTHING!" His eyes shifted to a soulless white as he blasted Ignitus back.

"Ignitus!" Spyro cried as he struggled to stand, both Cynder and Ignitus were down, it was up to him...

"Now only you stand in my way of Ultimate conquest!" Malefor snarled at Spyro, who held his shoulder in pain, but did not back down.

"Make your choice wisely, Purple Dragon..." Malefor growled at Spyro.

"I'll die before I side with you!" Spyro retorted as Malefor sighed.

"Oh...so unwise..." he grimaced, and grabbed ahold of Spyro, slamming him onto the ground, and breaking his arm.

"ARGH!" Spyro screamed as the Dark Master toss him aside.

"You see yourself as the Dragon of Destiny, but your powers are nowhere near the skill of a trained Purple Dragon, your not ready to face your destiny, and I intend to keep it that way...when I kill you!" Malefor sneered at the weakened Spyro, who gazed over at Cynder, the shock of almost dying caused her to seemingly faint, and Ignitus was too weak to do anything, he weakly stood up, turning to face Malefor.

_"Now it's time to unleash the True Dragon within you..." _a calming yet mysterious voice said to him internally as Spyro closed his eyes, causing Malefor to pause in his advance, and when Spyro's eyes opened, they burned with purple energy...

* * *

Flare advanced alongside the wall with Flame, being careful not to alert any of the Apes, when she peered her head around the corner, she caught sight of the Guardians and their mates, suspended in giant metal cages.

_"Let's hope this is easy enough for us" _She thought to herself as Flame looked at her, and nodded, all of her other friends were stationed at different parts of the makeshift 'prison'.

"I hope Alastor can cut the power long enough for us to take out the Apes" Flame whispered as Flare looked back.

"knowing him, he'll be fine..." She replied as she kissed Flame on the cheek, suddenly the lights went out, and Flare's orange eyes glowed in the dark.

"that's my cue" she told him as she walked out into the open, and advanced upon the Apes, something uncommon about Flare was that she possessed Night Vision, rather uncommon in a Fire Dragon of any kind, she moved behind the Apes, and bonked their heads against one another, knocking them unconscious, she looked at Alastor, and signaled to him to bring back the lights, and he did that, restoring it so that the other Apes could see, but it was too late.

Surprise..." Flare grinned as she attacked them with her blasts of fire, setting them aflame.

"That's right, come at me!" She mocked as she kicked away more Apes.

"You are making this really boring, boys!" She kept at it, giving time for Flame and Terrain to move to the cells and free the students, and the Guardians as well as their mates, all the while, Flare was doing exceptionally well at

Fighting the Apes and keeping them distracted, eventually one of the Apes managed to get the drop on her and punched her in the jaw, causing her to fall over.

"That less boring for you?" He sneered.

"No, but that is" she replied as he turned around to see all the Prisoners had been freed, his face immediately went pale as he was kicked by Flame, and helped up Flare.

"Thanks" she smiled as Flame nodded.

"sure thing..." he replied as they looked to the Guardians.

"Come on, we need to get too Spyro!" Terrador announced as they went on their way to find him...

* * *

Spyro's body coarsed with energy as he growled at Malefor, his body seemed to be rapidly healing while the process was occurring, the wound in his shoulder vanished, his broken arm had fixed itself, and all the cuts and bruises given to him had healed, the only thing that didn't disappear was the scar running down along his eye that Cynder had given him.

"But this cannot be possible, no Purple Dragon should have access to Aether when they are this young!" Malefor snarled as he blasted a stream of Aether upon Spyro, who countered it with his own, his eyes were glowing a bright purple.

"You will hurt my family no more!" Spyro Roared as he was blasting Aether at Malefor, the two were locked in a standstill as the combination of their individual Aether streams created a spectacle of lights, and caused a purple beam to shoot up into the sky, as Cynder and Ignitus both regained their strength, they were met with this spectacular event as Spyro was getting pushed back by Malefor's Aether breath, upon seeing this, Cynder immediately moved to encourage Spyro, saying things like "you can do this!" Or "I believe in you!" To name a few, however, not even at his full strength could Spyro beat the Dark Master as he overpowered him and sent him rolling into Cynder's arms.

"Foolish child...now it is finished" he prepared to strike, but a new voice suggested otherwise.

"I don't think so..." Malefor turned to see all the prisoners had been freed, and he got into a defensive stance.

"As powerful as you are, Malefor, you cannot defeat all of us" Terrador explained to him as he growled.

"Now...leave our home, and you'll be spared" Gaia's firm voice made Malefor consider his chances.

"This isn't over" he growled as he spread his wings and took flight through the glass ceiling, and signaling to his troops for a retreat...

* * *

"Argh!" Shard snarled as he grabbed Rose and hurled her across the courtyard, his body was littered with cuts and bruises, but he was staying strong, suddenly he looked up to see Malefor flying in the air, signaling what seemed to be a retreat, Spyro had won.

"Rose, it's over, this battle is done" Shard said to his _former _lover, who snarled.

"It is never over" she retorted.

"This fight...is over, your master called a retreat, and I'm sure you don't want him to kill you, do you?" He asked as Rose considered this and ran off, leaving Shard to his battered, emotional, self, he noticed all that the Dragons were leaving the building and flying down to the courtyard.

"Is everyone alright?" Terrador asked.

"Yes...almost everyone" Ignitus trailed off as he walked over to the body of Incendia.

"Ignitus...I'm truly sorry..." Cyril walked over to his friend and placed his hand on his shoulder.

"She was perfect...and now I have time to grieve, in fact, all of my family should grieve" as he said this, Flare walked over, and Spyro was prepared to walk away, when Ignitus stopped him.

"I said _all _of our family" his smile was one of the few things that made Spyro feel truly better about everything, as he walked over to join Ignitus, Cynder had a strong urge to follow, but resisted, she then noticed Nero was walking up to her.

"Hey Cynder..." he bluntly said as she seemed confused.

"Hello Nero" she replied.

"Listen, I think I owe you an apology, you and Spyro..." he started as Cynder looked over at him.

"Well, apology accepted..." her response made his jaw drop.

"But...I haven't even gotten to-" he was cut off by Cynder.

"Oh I know, but I forgive you nonetheless, however if you do try to get in the way of me and Spyro again, I might not be so merciful" she explained as Spyro and the others walked back over.

"We're going to go bury her now...did you want to come? Flame is going with Flare" he informed her.

"Sure, I'll come with" Spyro's attention was then drawn towards Shard, standing away from the others.

"Excuse me a moment" he told her as he walked over to him, he seemed to be staring off into the clouds.

"Hey bud, you doing okay?" He asked Shard as he sighed.

"I just...I can't believe that Rose was the spy, I thought she loved me, but I guess that was a lie to get under my skin and use me, you heard her, it's because of my ignorance that she was able to get to you" he explained as Spyro sighed.

"She may have used you, but in the end, her plot failed, but I'd say move on, and find someone that you really do know..." Spyro explained as Shard turned around.

"You know, for a Dragon that fell in love within a day, you really know how to give advice" he pointed out as Spyro smirked.

"It's a gift I guess, come on, let's go back to the others, I'm sure Cyril and Glacia will help you with this, they're your parents after all" he told the Ice Dragon as he had him find his parents, and walked to where Ignitus was.

"I'm ready..." he trailed off as they had Terrador and Volteer lift Incendia's body onto their backs, and they walked off to find a place to bury her...

* * *

Janne looked around her, the devastation was massive, everyone's moral was crushed, Malefor had done a number in the Temple, she watched as Spyro walked off with Ignitus, then her gaze shifted to see Shard, limping away, Janne looked to ground, she had heard what happened with him and Rose, but truth be told, she had a huge crush on him, what she wouldn't give to make him feel better, but she had other duties at the moment.

"Janne!" The Ice Dragoness turned to see Glacia calling her over.

"I need you to help me, Cyril, and the others move these Ape corpses out of the Temple, if we leave them here, they soon stink of death" she explained as Janne took another look at Shard, and turned back to follow Glacia, they started dragging the bodies out of the Courtyard and bringing them into the forest.

"Ugh, why do we have to do this? Why can't the boys help?" One of them complained, only to be corrected when the saw the male dragons were helping too.

"You were saying?" Janne asked rhetorically, then she was surprised when she saw Alastor and Terrain were helping.

_"They single-handedly helped save us, why are they still helping? They should be resting..." _she thought to herself, she could only assume that they were merely being humble Dragons, she assumed that Shard, Spyro, and Cynder would've helped, but they were mourning, she shrugged it off as she plopped down the Ape body she was dragging, and dug up a grave to drop the body in, as she learned from Terrador's required class, burying the body in pure soil would help give the environment nutrients, she continued to dig deeper until she thought it was a reasonable distance, and dropped the body inside, and started piling the dirt back on top of the body until it was completely covered, she turned back to see more of the bodies.

_"This could take awhile..." _she thought to herself as she grabbed onto another Ape body by the neck, and dragged it over to another place for a grave, as she dug it up, several thoughts ran through her head, she couldn't think about any of them correctly.

_"I wonder if Shard...would like me?" _Janne thought to herself, she managed to drop the next corpse into the grass, she figured she'd ask...and she faked out being tired, and walked away.

_"He needs someone there, or else he'll fall apart from grief..." _she thought to herself as she went to find Shard.

**(So, I know I said I'd do a lemon a few chapters from now, but I haven't done a lemon in awhile, so I'm gonna need to 1up my game, so as odd as this seems, I'm going to go browsing for stories containing lemons so that when I do one, you bastards are satisfied...man, I'm gonna need lots of holy water after this...anyways, bye, I guess)**


	10. Chapter 10: a Hero's Burial

Chapter 10: a hero's burial

Incendia's body was placed into a grave within the ground, as this was happening, Ignitus was tearful alongside Flare and Spyro, who had Flame and Cynder at their respective sides, Spyro felt the most guilty about the whole situation, he ran away, and caused her death.

"She was the closest thing I had to a mother...and now she's gone..." he trailed off as Ignitus looked to him and leaned down to his level.

"Young Dragon, she will always be in our hearts..." he paused for a moment.

"I'm...sorry for not telling you about your parents, or the imprint, or any of it" he said as Spyro nodded, and Cynder's tail coiled around his.

"It's alright, in terms of the Imprint, it's good know that there's something special about us, as for my parents, they may have been related to me...but I already have a father" he looked up at Ignitus, who smiled.

"And while I am a little hurt, I can understand why you didn't tell me" he continued as Ignitus stood up straight again.

"You know, your parents were much more special than you realized, had they survived, they would've been assigned positions as Guardians, but they didn't make it, and seeing you so...alone and fragile, I couldn't stand by, so I took you in, raised you as if you were my own son, and I'm so proud of the Dragon you've become, Spyro" Ignitus explained as Spyro smiled, but it soon faded as he watched Incendia's grave being covered.

"Maybe...but I still couldn't save her" he replied as Cynder leaned against him.

"It wasn't your fault, she'd be proud to know that you managed to beat Malefor..." her statement made Spyro flinch a little.

"But I didn't beat him, he only left because of convenient timing from the others, he was right, I have a long way to go" Spyro informed her, he then gazed to Flare, who appeared a little sad at the sight of Cynder leaning on him.

"Cynder is right, Young Dragon, Incendia would've been proud no matter what...take a look at the sky, the stars are coming out" Ignitus gestured for them to look to the sky.

"Each time a new star ignites, it is said that the star is the spirit of a new Dragon" he explained, just then a star lit up in the dark.

"That one must be Incendia..." Flame pointed out as Ignitus nodded.

"Yes, she's watching over us now, and I suggest we all get some sleep, as for you Young Dragons" Ignitus looked at them.

"I will allow you to sleep together if that is your wish, I cannot stop love this powerful, and I have no intent of doing so" he said to them as he walked off with Flame, and Flare gave Spyro a look of longing, and walked off with the rest of them, he understood why she made that look, but he couldn't provide his affection for her.

"Come on, we should go" Cynder was about to leave, but then noticed Spyro made a move towards Incendia's grave, she turned and followed.

"I promise you, I won't let Ignitus die...mom" Spyro teared up a little as Cynder lovingly nuzzled him.

"Spyro, come on, she's watching us from the stars now" her statement made Spyro feel more comfortable and he followed her, eventually they made it to the courtyard.

"So...where should we sleep?" She asked as Spyro shrugged.

"We can sleep in my room, it's closer" he pointed out as Cynder nodded in agreement, and followed his lead, eventually they made it to Spyro's room, and he opened the door, lighting the candles with his fire breath, and closed the door, he immediately crashed onto his bed.

"Ancestors, I'm exhausted" he groaned as Cynder giggled, and made an interesting move, she advanced on top of him and laid there.

"Goodnight, my hero..." she whispered in his ear, causing him to smile.

"And too you as well, my love" he said as he blew out the candles, and they fell asleep...

* * *

Janne strolled through the fields with a bit of nervousness.

_"What if Shard says no, or...enough of this!" _She scolded herself harshly, and she made an advance on his quarters, she knocked on the door, and to her surprise, Shard was still awake, his candles were lit, he seemed to not have a desire to sleep.

"Janne? What are you doing here?" He asked, which surprised her.

"You...know my name?" She asked in confusion as he nodded.

"Of course I do, I'd be a fool if I didn't, everyone knows you, you've gotten the highest scores on all of our tests, Well, second place to Spyro, of course" Shard replied, which made her blush.

"Now, back to my question: what are you doing here?" He asked as Janne blushed even harder.

"I...I just wanted to check on you, I heard about Rose...I'm sorry about that..." she explained as Shard sighed.

"It's fine, thanks for that, but...I'm not sure a pep talk will help" he was about to turn, but Janne stopped him.

"Then how about this?" She asked as she kissed him on the lips , which surprised Shard, a look he retained as she pulled back.

"Janne...I can't..." Shard replied as he stood up and began to walk away. "Why not?" Janne asked in confusion as he turned back.

"I...I need time, to forget...Rose...she meant a lot to me" He said through slight tears, and left Janne to herself, to ponder...

* * *

**So we did it, guys (we reached a quarter of a million subscribers, the fact that we made this number in such a short amount of time is phenomenal -Pyrocynical), the lemon was wiped from existence, finally, good grief, I can write PG-13 shit again, feels good, bye.**


	11. Chapter 11: True Love

**(Yes, the title says it all...there's not gonna be a lemon in this chapter, because fuck expectations, and fuck my life, fortunately, a nice Reviewer by the name of SKdaGamer helped me to open up my stupid eyes, and realize I don't have to conform to this shit, anyways, onto this revamped, PG Family Friendly channel)**

Chapter 11: True love

Spyro was with Cynder and his friends when he caught sight of Shard finally emerging onto the Courtyard, he appeared to be tired from last night, Spyro assumed he hadn't slept well because of Rose.

"

"Well, me and Cynder are going to go train, just because Malefor attacked us is no reason to stop our training" Spyro pointed out as she and Cynder coiled tails and walked off into the forest.

"Today we will he focusing on mastering your Wind Abilities, something that takes much mastering to control" Spyro told Cynder as they walked to the clearing where they trained.

"So, how exactly does this work?" She asked as Spyro handed her a scroll for later.

"I've gotten only the best type of material ready for our lesson, Wind is much more streamlined than Poison or Shadow, thus it means that it must be under your total control, or else you could cause a string of catastrophes" the Purple Dragon explained as Cynder giggled.

"You know, your very cute when your a nerd" she replied as Spyro blushed.

"Oh well...thank you...anyways, we'll start with a simple stream of Wind, and for that, I've got this" Spyro pulled out a slip of paper.

"I want you to try and control the direction this paper goes with your Wind Stream, so now, close your eyes, and imagine a breeze blowing through your body, now, harness it...and release it" Cynder followed Spyro's instructions, and her eyes turned a dark blue as she released a stream of Wind.

"Good, very good, now don't let up, I'm inserting the paper" Spyro informed her as he placed the paper in the blast zone of her wind, and it immediately flew off into the air, as Cynder stopped, she looked up, impressed with her new power.

"Very good, very good, now, as a challenge, go and try to find that paper, knowing where you blast your target is a good way to sneak attack the unsuspecting victim, I'll be waiting here for you" Spyro explained as she nodded and ran off into the woods.

_"Now, where could that paper be?" _She wondered to herself as she stalked through the woods, hearing various critters and such as she trekked through the forest, she eventually found it, and saw an opening through some bushes, as she picked up the paper, she noticed the various creatures that brushed through the undergrowth, she breathed in the fresh air and sighed in relief, then she finally picked up the paper in order to return it to Spyro.

_"I wonder when Spyro and myself will mate with each other _**(I'm keeping this in because I can't think of any other generic thought to use)**_...we've grown very far in our relationship" _she thought to herself as she returned to Spyro, who was standing there expectantly.

"Sorry, Spyro, I got held up unexpectedly" she explained as Spyro kept an understanding look on his face.

"It's fine, besides, you brought back the paper, didn't you?" He held his hand out so that Cynder could give him the paper.

"Right, let's continue" Spyro gestured with his wing, and they continued with their training...

_Meanwhile_

Shard was in his room, he had decided to swerve clear of his friends, he'd rather not weigh his own problems on theirs, he felt entitled to that, he then heard a knock on his door, it was his mom, Glacia.

"Shard? Can I come in?" She asked as Shard looked at the door, he didn't flinch. "Sure..." He trailed off as Glacia slowly opened the door and crammed herself through the small entryway **(It was built for younger dragons)**.

"Sweetie, are you okay? You barely touched any of the food left for you" Glacia asked as they both looked at the cold, uneaten food resting on the little table in the corner. "I'm fine, okay? Just leave me alone..." Shard muttered as Glacia attempted to get closer.

"I said leave me alone!" He tried to blast her with his ice shards, but she deflected them with her own. "Shard, you can't overpower me, let me talk to you, please, I'm your mother" Glacia's tail curled around Shard's back.

"I...I miss her..." He referred to Rose as tears started to swell, but they froze up. "I know you do, she was special to you, we all know that, but she was evil" Glacia explained as Shard couldn't even hold back the tears.

"Then why can't I stop thinking about her!? She's in my head! I see her in my dreams! I can't let her go!" Shard held his head, causing Glacia to pull her son closer to her. "Let us help you, let Cyril and I help, your friends are also here for you, Shard, don't carry this burden alone, confide in Spyro, let him help you." Glacia told him as they remained where they were, letting Shard cry for as long as he needed...

* * *

"Very good, Cynder, keep it up" Spyro was impressed as the Dragoness started using more advanced skills with her Wind Stream.

"Okay, I think that's enough training for today, don't you?" He suggested as Cynder nodded in agreement.

"Come on, let's head back, oh, and before I forget, here" Spyro handed her another scroll. "this should come in handy for you, now come on" he gestured with his wing as they walked back to the Temple, but Cynder kept one nagging question in her mind.

_"Do I deserve Spyro?" _She wondered, she glanced at him, his face still bore the nasty scar that ran down his eye, but fortunately didn't get his eye, a scar that _she _gave him, she felt ashamed, Spyro noticed that she seemed sad, and draped his wing over her, giving her comfort.

"Whatever is it that your sad about, I'm here for you" he told her, causing her to weakly smile, and the two walked back to the temple.

**(Yeah, that's right, we're done, apologies for the lackage of chapters, I haven't been able to write as I've been hanging out with my cousins in Orlando, Cousins that I only regularly get to see once a year, and also, I figured I'd write a chapter for New Years, so happy New Year!)**


	12. Chapter 12: the First Offense

**(Would you look at that, it's the first chapter of 2020, let's hit the new year with a bang, shall we? Now, enjoy the chapter)**

Chapter 12: the First Offense

Malefor paced from side to side, growling in impatience, Rose was expected to give a reconnaissance of the Temple, he had planned a small attack force to attack Spyro and Cynder while they were alone, but Rose hadn't returned yet.

_"If she's late, then I'll have to give her a lesson..." _he growled, his patience was wearing thin, suddenly she burst into the room.

"I'm...back..." Rose panted as Malefor growled.

"What kept you?" He asked rather irritated.

"Got held up...by the locals, but I'm here now" she handed Malefor a shcematic of the Temple.

"Excellent, this is what we need to use against Spyro and Cynder, now, when are they often alone?" He asked as Rose shrugged.

"Usually during their training sessions, they happen at around noon every day" she explained as Malefor grinned.

"Now is the time to attack, when they're alone, prepare a small strike force to attack during training today" he commanded as Rose saluted and rushed off, leaving Malefor to keep brooding...

* * *

"Wake-up sleepyhead" Cynder whispered into Spyro's ear within their bed as the sun risen up the horizon, causing Spyro to stir.

"Morning, beautiful" he smiled at her as he saw her face, her form lay on his as their wings draped over each other.

"Well, I think we should try to get some training" Spyro suggested as Cynder blushed and smiled as she stood up and allowed Spyro to sit up.

"I suggest we should continue practicing your Wind abilities today, we can get a good amount of training in before lunch today if we move now" he suggested as Cynder giggled, and coiled her tail around his.

"Come on, let's go" Spyro said to her as they opened his room door and they walked out, with Cynder grabbing Spyro's bag.

"You almost forgot this" she told him and put it over his head.

"Thanks..." Spyro replied with a stupid grin as Cynder giggled again, and they walked off to their clearing to begin her training, as they arrived, Spyro placed his bag against a boulder.

"We'll begin with physical preparation, so that means some review, in other words: show me what you know so far" Spyro explained as Cynder started demonstrating her various elemental attacks, as she did this, two yellow eyes watched from the bushes, ready to pounce...

* * *

Shard felt the sun hitting his face as he opened his eyes and looked around, no one was awake from what he could hear, and he slithered out of his room, maybe he'd do what Glacia suggested, maybe he should confide in Spyro.

"He's usually awake at this time with Cynder to train..." He muttered, when he suddenly heard a scream coming from the woods, and almost by instinct, he rushed to find the source of it...

* * *

"Stay back!" Cynder snarled at the Ape who had cornered them, he had ambushed Spyro while he was distracted and got a good scratch on his shoulder with his spear.

"Malefor will reward me for this..." he held the spear high in the air, ready to strike, when out of nowhere, Shard and Janne leaped out of the bushes and struck the Ape.

"Surprise!" Shard hollered as he rammed into the Ape, knocking him to the ground.

"Argh! Fool! Your interference will be your undoing" He growled, prepared to attack, but was slashed across the face by the ice dragon.

"Get out of here! Or suffer the consequences" He snarled as the Ape ran off in pain, dropping his spear in the process.

"Spyro, are you alright?" Shard asked as he nodded.

"Yeah, I'll live, but I'm gonna need more training myself if I'm gonna stop anymore ambushes, Malefor really wants us dead" he replied, and then gazed at the two.

"Hold on, how'd you get here so quickly? I could've sworn me and Cynder were the only ones up" as he investigated, Shard sighed. "It's not important...not anymore..." He said in disappointment as Cynder raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

"Well alright, but we should go back to Ignitus and tell him about this, come on" he gestured to the others as he picked up his bag and they walked back to the Temple.

"Looks like we'll have to postpone today's training session, Cyn, just stay close" Spyro said to her as something caught her ear.

"Did you just call me Cyn?" She asked as Spyro was a little nervous.

"Oh, I'm sorry, It just...slipped out" he replied with a stupid grin, but Cynder kissed him on the lips briefly.

"I like it..." she trailed off and left Spyro to himself as she backed up to Shard

"So, what were you really doing out in the woods so early?" She asked him as he sighed. "It's something I'd rather talk to Spyro about..." He trailed off, which slightly irritated Cynder due to how cryptic he was being.

_"What's he hiding?"_ She wondered as they all returned to the temple to inform Ignitus of what happened.

* * *

"How could you fail!? You were given all the tools you needed!" Malefor roared at the Ape who was assigned to kill Spyro and Cynder.

"I say he chickened out, and gave himself wounds so he could lie" Rose smirked as the Ape grew outraged.

"What!? How dare you pin this on me, you whelpling!" He retorted as Malefor roared.

"Enough! You have failed me, Gaul, and you must be punished!" He grabbed the Ape by the neck, and ripped out one of his eyes.

"Yargh!" Gaul cried in agony as he was dropped to the ground.

"Maybe next time this can be a good motivator for you, now get out of my sight..." Malefor spat was he walked away, with Rose giving Gaul a smug look before following Malefor, leaving Gaul as he felt the place where his eye was and felt the blood dripping from it.

"My lord, should we dispose of Gaul? He seems completely useless" Rose suggested as Malefor grumbled.

"It matters not, Gaul is useless, but he could step up his worth with that lesson I gave him, but we have more pressing matters, like you" he replied as Rose grew confused.

"What do you mean?" She asked as Malefor chuckled.

"Look at you, your practically the size of a hatchling, we need to buff you up...so come with me..." he led her into a large, circular room.

"My lord, all the preperations for your ritual are in place" an Ape told him as he nodded.

"Very good, now leave us..." he replied as Rose looked at him.

"Ritual?" She grew confused as Malefor looked back at her.

"Yes, with the right spell, you shall become even more powerful, and rule as my general" he had her sit in the middle of the room, and Malefor used his magic to chain her arms, legs, and neck.

"Um, my lord, is this safe?" Rose asked as Malefor chuckled.

"Of course it is" he started reciting the Incantation.

_"Not..." _he grinned as he released the magic onto Rose, and she started screeching in pain, watching as the magic flowed through her body, and watched as her entire body started to enlargen, her wings grew ginormous as they started gaining tatters, her limbs became huge as her claws became more sharp, and her face became much more terrifying, and her eyes lit up a bright yellow, she was then released from her chains, and fell to the floor, and looked up at Malefor, who inspected her.

"Hmm, the enchantment seems to have worked, your much more deadlier it seems, from what it looks like, you also appear to have changed...cosmetically" he looked at her form with interest as Rose stood up.

"Thank you, my lord..." she bowed as Malefor grew intrigued.

"For what, exactly?" He asked.

"For this gift..." she replied as Malefor smirked for her apparent submissiveness.

"Come, my general, we have more work to do" he told her as they walked off to start another scheme...

* * *

"Ignitus!" Spyro rushed into his office with Cynder, catching his attention.

"Young Dragon, what happened?" He asked in concern as Spyro showed him his shoulder.

"An Ape ambushed us during Cynder's training, but he was bested, I don't know how safe it is to be outside the Temple, but what matters is that Malefor still wants us dead, and isn't defeated by a simple loss" Spyro explained as Ignitus considered the situation.

"Well, this is troubling, go and see Glacia, she'll be able to patch you up" he sent him off, but when Cynder was going to follow Ignitus stopped her.

"Cynder, please, wait a moment" he said to her as she looked over.

"What is it?" She asked as Ignitus turned to see that Spyro as he disappeared around the corner.

"Now he won't admit this, but Spyro is fearful, not just for himself, but for you, I need you to keep him safe, I cannot do that anymore...so I need you to keep him safe" he explained to Cynder as she nodded.

"I'll do my best..." she replied as Ignitus smiled."Thank you, that's all I can ask" he said to her as she left the office, leaving Ignitus to himself, and he walked up to a portrait of Incendia.

"I could really use some guidance from you right now..." Ignitus whispered as he walked off to think to himself...

* * *

"What are we doing, my lord?" Rose asked as Malefor appeared to be using his magic on some kind of an orb.

"When I was attacking the Temple, I did something that traumatized many Dragons, and if we can bring what I took, back, we can pull on their heartstrings, and destroy them emotionally..." Malefor chuckled and cast out the spell, and all they could see was a hand bursting from a grave.

"First, we strike at their hearts..." he trailed off and grinned evilly.

**(Hello, hey, sorry for this chapter's long awaited arrival, school has started up again, so I need time to work on this, plus I'm working on a one-shot and Worlds of the Past, so peace out!)**


	13. Chapter 13: a more typical day

Chapter 13: A more typical day

The days that followed Malefor's attempt to capture Spyro and Cynder were much less intense and more streamlined, the Purple Dragon was lounging with his lover in the fields within the temple.

"Spyro, can I be completely honest?" Cynder asked as Spyro glanced over at her.

"Yeah, What is it?" He replied.

"I'm bored today...there's nothing to do, we've beaten Malefor, we already trained today, and as surprising as it is, the Temple doesn't exactly have a store to shop at" she explained as Spyro smirked.

"No kidding, there really isn't anything to do..." he replied as they stayed there for a few moments, until Cynder had finally just decided that enough was enough and stood up, stretching, with Spyro doing the same.

"We should go and find Shard and the others" Spyro suggested as Cynder agreed.

"Well, let's go then..." she kissed his cheek and coiled her tail around his, and they both walked off to find their friends, as they walked further into the Temple, Spyro caught sight of Shard, he seemed to be wallowing...again.

"Hey there, Shard" Spyro greeted him as he glanced.

"Hey Spyro, Cynder..." Shard replied as he stood up.

"What are we gonna do today? Cynder's bored beyond belief, and when she's bored, it's not really that great to be around..." Spyro's witty explaination earned him a playful glare from Cynder.

"Oh really?" She replied wittingly as Spyro smirked.

"Well, what do you want to do? My schedule is open for anything" Shard said, it was then that he had an idea.

"How about a game? Like...Hide and Seek, or something?" He suggested as Cynder shrugged.

"Sure" she said as Spyro felt relieved that he didn't have to come up with anything, he was terrible at coming up with ideas, it was universally agreed upon amongst all of their friends, himself included, however, Cynder didn't know this, so naturally she'd expect him to do something.

"Alright then, if we're playing this game, whose it?" Spyro asked as Cynder grinned playfully.

"Well, I'll be it...considering how "not great" I am to be around, I'll just have to hunt you down, Spyro, and make you apologize" she said with a cheeky tone as Spyro grew slightly nervous.

"Well...count to 30, and we'll go hide" Shard told Cynder as they all scattered, leaving the Dragoness to count, Spyro immediately ran for the one place that no one would think to look in for him, as he settled into his hiding spot **(it's not meant to be described that heavily)**, he was just hoping that Cynder wouldn't find him, however, it seemed as though luck didn't favor him as he saw Cynder's paws inching towards his location, his fears were confirmed as Cynder poked her head into his hiding spot, and grinned.

"Found you!" She said smugly as Spyro chuckled.

"I yield" he replied as she smiled seductively.

"Not so fast, I want a reward..." she pulled Spyro out of his hiding spot, and pounded on top of him, pulling him into a passionate kiss, catching Spyro by surprise, although he quickly melted into it as they lay there in the fields, their tongues wrestling for dominance, as they pulled back, it was clear that Cynder wanted more, but Spyro had an idea in mind.

"Cyn, I think you should go find the others, and then we can go back to my room later tonight..." he suggested as Cynder considered it and lifted herself off of him.

"Why not? But be warned Purple Boy, I'm coming for you when this is over" she replied as she raced off, allowing Spyro to catch his breath in a manner, he figured he'd wait for Cynder to return with Shard. Speaking of Shard, he was grateful that he managed to play this game without feeling depressed, Rose had been on his mind for some time now, fortunately, he didn't have to wait for long as he caught sight of the Shadow Dragoness returning with the ice dragon.

"She's really good at this game" Shard pointed out as Cynder walked over to Spyro, her tail blade sliding under his chin in a seductive manner, causing Spyro to quiver slightly, fortunately, this wasn't taken into consideration by Shard.

"Well, have you been satisfied, Cynder?" Shard asked as she seemed like she yearned for more.

"Well, I have an activity in mind, but it's more for me and Spyro...alone" as she said this, she started dragging Spyro back to his room, and he gave an apologetic look to Shard.

* * *

"My lord, what exactly are we doing?" Rose asked as Malefor paced in his incantation chambers.

"We may have managed to raise our new Dragon back from the dead, but they require instructions, their free will remains intact, but they also need to be controlled, however, I require a set of ingredients, however...those ingredients can only be found within the walls of the Dragon Temple..." Malefor explained as Rose didn't seem to be that fazed.

"So, what's stopping you?" She asked as Malefor turned to her.

"The problem is that I can return, or they may kill me, and it's too soon to launch another attack just days after the last one, especially with the plan I have in place, I need you to return there, but undercover, here" Malefor casted a special and blasted it onto Rose, as she looked, she could still see her arms, but Malefor explained what happened.

"I've granted you with the ability to become invisible, it will only last as long as you need it to, this is the list for the ingredients I need to perform the spell, now go" he sent her away, and glanced back at the Orb in the center of the room, the image inside was focused on the Dragon he had raised, and was restrained. Malefor glanced back to make sure that Rose had left, then back to the Dragon.

_"All is going according to plan" _

he grinned evilly.

* * *

"Ow, Cynder, your pulling too hard" Spyro snapped his lover back to reality as she stopped moving.

"Oh, I kinda got lost in the moment..." Cynder apologized as Spyro regained a proper foothold on the ground.

"It's fine, but your desire seems to be really strong" Spyro replied as Cynder seemed to bear an embarrassed look on her face, looking away.

"I...we're together now, right? Like it always should've been for us, I just can't help but want our relationship to be taken to the next step, I want to truly commit" she explained as Spyro bore a sympathetic look.

"There's nothing to be ashamed of, Cynder, our relationship in my eyes, is very uncommon, I think that as time goes on, and probably very soon, we'll take that next step, now we should probably go back to Shard and explain all this" Spyro suggested as Cynder seemed unsure.

"Do we really want to tell Shard? It'll just make him more depressed than before, We shouldn't tell him anything, just go back and try to lift his spirits" She replied, and they decided to go back, however, they didn't notice a dragoness moving through the halls, Rose maneuvered over to the storage of supplies that the Guardians had kept, Rose immediately pulled out the list that Malefor had given her, grabbing the various ingredients. However, one slipped from her hand, and fell onto the ground, causing one of the guards she moved past to look inside in the supply room. Rose immediately picked up the ingredient and placed it in her cloaked bag, and turned visible, blasting the guard with fear, when the other guard came in to see what was happening, he too was blasted with fear, and they were left there, helplessly crying in terror as Rose became invisible again, and left the supply room, moving out to the fields and into the forest, her mission was complete...

Spyro and Cynder were heading back to Shard when they were intercepted by Ignitus.

"Young Dragons, I need your assistance immediately, someone has broken into the Temple" he explained as they saw Shard moving towards them.

"Hey Spyro, what's going on?" Shard asked as Ignitus turned to them.

"Someone has broken into the Temple, but what intrigues me is where they decided to go, come along" the Fire Guardian led them in the direction of the supply room, as they arrived, the two Dragons who were guarding the room were laying against the wall, being comforted by Glacia and Voltea.

"I don't know what happened, but these guards were fairly traumatized by something, we figured Dragonesses would be better equipped to help calm them down so they could explain what happened" Ignitus told them as Cynder walked up to the guards, and felt their foreheads, extremely hot, as she backed away, she came to the most suitable conclusion.

"These guards were blasted by fear, someone must've given them a very traumatic vision" Cynder told them of her hypothesis.

"Wait? Can you sense fear?" Spyro asked as Cynder nodded.

"Wow...okay" Shard trailed off as Ignitus walked towards Cynder.

"Is there any chance you could remove the fear? I'm certain the toxin still remains inside of them" Ignitus suggested as Cynder walked towards the guards, with Spyro behind her, and she drew out the fear from both of them, leaving her exhausted as she fell back into Spyro's arms, as the guards shook their heads and they regained their vision, Glacia and Voltea stepped back beside Ignitus, eventually Cynder managed to stand up at the same time as the guards, conveniently. It was then that Spyro let go of her and walk toward the guards.

"Do you know who did this to you?" Spyro asked as one of them looked in his direction, and started to speak.

* * *

"My lord, I have returned!" Rose rushed into Malefor's Incantation chambers, with the massive Purple Dragon standing in a rather intimidating manner, he turned to face Rose, who handed him the bag.

"Excellent work, you've proved your resourcefulness yet again, and now..." Malefor took out the ingredients from the bag and dropped them into a nearby bowl, and merged them, crafting it into a liquid that Malefor merged with his dark magic, he then glanced at the restrained dragon in the orb, and blasted it through hitting the dragon, and causing them to absorb the magic as their eyes turned a bright purple, and then to their normal color, he released the dragon from their bonds as they looked around in fear, and ran off, in the direction of the Dragon Temple.

"Now we wait..." Malefor grinned with a look of absolute certainty, as they waited for the dominoes to fall.

**(Hello there, apologies for the long wait on a surprisingly short chapter, but I wanted to get this out now rather than later, so here it is, next on the list will either be Chapter 14, or Chapter 3 of Worlds of the past, so until then, peace!)**


	14. Chapter 14: Dark Rituals

**(Hello there, apologies for the long wait on this chapter, lots of things are coming up out of nowhere, School, I'm finally getting a new computer that isn't as slow as the formation of the Earth was, and all kinds of stuff, but here it is, if it's short, I apologize, but take it or leave it, anyways, enjoy!)**

Chapter 14: Dark Rituals

Spyro lay on his back with Cynder, the two stared into the sky, their thoughts dwelled on the sight of the Tramutized Guards in the supply room, and Spyro couldn't help but feel like something was going to happen today.

"Cynder, do you have this feeling that...something's gonna go down today?" He asked her as Cynder shrugged.

"I...can't help but feel like you might be right...we should be vigilant today" she replied as Spyro sat up and looked around, overall the temple seemed fairly peaceful, but Spyro had a feeling in his gut that something was wrong, he glanced over and saw Ignitus walking through the fields, staring into the woods, Spyro immediately figured something was up, and stood up to go to the Fire Guardian, Cynder looked at him and decided to follow him.

"Ignitus?" Spyro grabbed the Guardian's attention.

"What is it, Young Dragon?" Ignitus asked as Cynder walked up to join Spyro.

"Do you have a feeling that...something's going to happen today?" Spyro suggested as Ignitus simply nodded.

"I fear you may be right, something has shifted the balance in magic, and it can't be a good thing" he replied as they kept staring out into the woods, Spyro suddenly felt a chill as he saw the trees rustling, something definitely wasn't right, he thought he could see a shape or something staring back at him, but he turned back to look at Ignitus again.

"Young Dragon, come with me, there is something I want to talk to you about...privately" he informed Spyro as he followed the Guardian.

"Spyro, where are you going?" Cynder asked as Spyro turned back.

"Ignitus wants to talk with me, don't worry, I'll be fine" he told her as she looked in concern, she didn't cope well with the idea of leaving Spyro alone, albeit even if he was with Ignitus, she couldn't help herself and used her Shadow Element to conceal herself and follow Spyro and Ignitus into the latter's office, staying far away from the two so she didn't accidentally come into contact with either of them.

"Now that we're alone, I think we should debate the recent misgivings we've had, Malefor's efforts to attack us have been brutal, but I'm more concerned for his halt of attacks, we must be vigilant, also, I wish for you to step up Cynder's training, she's progressing at an accelerated pace and I'm rather pleased, it seems your training methods are rather effective, you should be proud" Ignitus's last compliment made Spyro blush from embarrassment.

"Well, it wasn't just me, Cynder's resourcefulness and skill is how we're at this point...she's so amazing" Spyro replied, causing Cynder, who was still invisible, to smile, she knew that Spyro loved her, but to hear his description of her when talking to someone else just felt lovely.

"I'm pleased that you feel that way, your bond is stronger then you realize, I'm glad enough that you and Cynder got to be what Incendia and myself envisioned to be...Incendia..." Ignitus then looked away.

"Ignitus...it's not your fault, Incendia wanted our life to be happy, like you said, she's watching us..." Spyro comforted the Guardian as he looked down and smiled.

"Thank you, Young Dragon" as Ignitus replied, Cynder figured she'd leave, it seemed as though Spyro shared that idea, and he was dismissed as they left Ignitus's office.

"You can show yourself now, Cynder" Spyro's sudden statement surprised the Dragoness as she reappeared.

"How'd you know?" She asked.

"I could sense your elemental surge, but I think it meant a lot to me that you care enough to follow me" he replied as Cynder blushed, and was kissed on the lips by Spyro, suddenly the purple dragon pulled back as he felt a sudden unnatural surge of energy.

"Cynder, something feels wrong" Spyro told her as he rushed outside, with Cynder following him, he ran out to the woods and saw a Dragon emerging from the bushes.

"No...it can't be..." Spyro trailed off in shock.

"Cyn, get Ignitus..." he instructed her as she nodded and ran off.

* * *

"Rose! I require your presence in my chambers!" Malefor communicated telepathically with Rose as she was startled back by the vision, although she immediately stood up and left her quarters to go to Malefor's chambers. As she walked through the halls, she glanced at multiple Apes walking by, she then came across Gaul, who had placed a patch over where his eye was ripped out.

"What are you doing here, Rose?" He asked demandingly as the Dragoness paid no attention and kept going.

"Answer my question" he grabbed her tail, causing Rose to snarl and turn around.

"It's none of your concern!" She spat as Gaul appeared to be unfazed.

"It is, actually, your going to Malefor's chambers, therefore I require info on your intentions" he replied, but that earned him a whack from Rose's tail.

"Touch me again, and I will devour you whole, now leave me be" she retorted as she walked off, rolling her eyes at the pretentiousness of Gaul as she entered Malefor's chambers.

"I have arrived, my lord" she announced as Malefor appeared from the Shadows.

"There is work to be done, come closer" he gestured to her as she did as he asked, immediately Malefor led Rose into his Incantation room, and had her stand beside him as he brandished a black sphere, he cast a spell over it immediately and it revealed a vision showing them the Temple.

"What's going on?" Rose asked as Malefor explained.

"This is the point of view from our little corrupted friend" Rose glanced into the vision, and the dragon that was staring at them with shock.

"He has no idea?" She asked as Malefor nodded.

"Absolutely oblivious" he replied as he turned back.

"We shall use this dragon as an instrument to our will, as a means to an end, and use it to crush our enemies emotionally, and physically" he grinned evilly as they peered into the magic vision...

"Ignitus! Ignitus!" Cynder burst into the Guardian's office, catching him off guard.

"Young Dragon, what's going on? Is there an emergency?" He asked as Cynder shook her head.

"Yes and no, it might be better if you come see for yourself" she told him as Ignitus stood up and followed Cynder outside, seeing a crowd of dragons in the courtyard.

"Everyone, step aside, please" Ignitus kindly gestured that they moved out of the way so Ignitus could move through with Cynder, eventually they got to the center, and they spotted Spyro.

"Young Dragon, what's going on?" He asked Spyro as he turned back.

"See for yourself" he replied as Ignitus looked up, and he froze, his heart stopped, and he looked in shock and disbelief.

"Ignitus? It's you..." the Dragon started tearing up as Ignitus shared a similar notion.

"Ancestors...Incendia?"

**(And done, don't hate me, Chapter 15 hopefully will come out sooner than this Chapter did, anyways, peace!)**


	15. Chapter 15: The Dream

**I apologize for the long wait, but lots of things have been coming up, getting a new laptop, putting stuff on my DeviantArt again (Same name, same picture), writing a new story, but now I'm back to the Spyro side of this account to bring you the long-awaited Chapter 15 for Dawn of Amnesty, and I apologize for the short chapter, enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 15: the dream

Spyro was at a loss for words as Incendia stood there, fairly still, and as surprised as he was, she appeared to be unscathed, no signs of the injuries that Malefor inflicted on her remained, but Ignitus didn't seem to care as he rushed to Incendia and hugged her tightly.

"My dear...I thought I lost you" Ignitus started to tear up as Incendia shared his relief.

"I don't know what happened, I saw black and then, I was back" she replied as she turned to Spyro and Cynder.

"Young Dragons, it is good to see you alive and well" Incendia smiled upon them as Spyro looked to the ground in slight shame, as this happened, the other dragons began to leave the sight to their standard business.

"Why Spyro, whatever is the matter?" Incendia was curious to his mood shift.

"It's just that when we ran off, we caused your death, I didn't think you'd forgive me in such a way" Spyro's shame was quickly wiped away as Incendia pulled him and Cynder into a light hug.

"Spyro, I'd never blame you for anything of the sort, it was my own ambition that got me killed **(in case you forgot, she was goaded by Malefor to kill him, and she did, or at least an illusion of Malefor)**" she explained as she released them, and stood up to face Ignitus.

"Has there been any developments while I was "away"?" Incendia asked her mate as they started discussing more important matters, leaving Spyro alone with Cynder.

"Well, that definitely messes things up for me, how could she even come back to life? No Dragon has that power" Spyro started theorizing her resurrection as Cynder giggled.

"I don't think we should worry about that now, also, your cute when you talk like that" she replied and kissed his cheek.

"come on, let's leave Ignitus with Incendia, besides, if I recall, you made a certain "promise" to me" Cynder mischievously grinned as her tail blade slid under Spyro's chin.

"well, I intend to keep that promise, but first I need to see to something" he responded and walked off to find Ignitus.

"Okay, but don't take too long, you worry too much" Cynder called out to her lover as she lay herself down in the fields, Spyro was walking after Ignitus as Incendia was led back into their quarters.

"Ignitus? May I speak with you for a moment?" The Purple Dragon asked as Ignitus turned to face him.

"Of course, Young Dragon, whatever might it be?" He replied as Spyro walked up to him.

"I'm not entirely sure I trust the legitimacy of Incendia's revival, there's something odd about it" Spyro explained as Ignitus nodded in agreement.

"I feel the same, I fear it could be a trap of some kind, although Incendia herself may not be aware of it, I'll monitor her actions, you should go and rest, I think I can see Cynder waiting for you" Ignitus pointed his tail at the Dragoness who was pacing in a circle out in the fields.

"Aw man, well, I better go to her, you should rest yourself as well, Ignitus" Spyro replied as he ran off to go and meet Cynder, who immediately kissed him, while Ignitus entered their own quarters.

"so Incendia, what exactly do you remember about your ressurection?" Ignitus asked his mate as she turned back to face him.

"I...I don't know, first there was darkness, next thing I know I'm running through the woods, I can't remember anything prior, which is what worries me the most" she replied as Ignitus walked up to her.

"Don't worry, my dear, we'll solve this together, and most likely with Spyro as I'm sure he'll insist on it" The Fire Guardian's response caused a small chuckle from Incendia.

"How is he?" She asked as Ignitus looked away.

"He changed after your death, he's felt responsible for it, but I don't think he is, all these events were caused by Malefor and...Rose" Ignitus said the last part hesitantly as Incendia grew surprised.

"She was the spy?" She asked as Ignitus nodded.

"She was the link on the inside, I believe she was indoctrinated into Malefor's cause at a young age, she's responsible for this, the memory purge, the attempt to keep Spyro and Cynder apart, and she was responsible for giving Malefor the order to attack us" Ignitus explained as Incendia sighed.

"How unfortunate, for someone such as her to be responsible" She replied as the two dragons continued to discuss all that Incendia had missed.

* * *

Spyro was walking down the fields towards Cynder, watching the elegant Dragoness stand up and striding up to him.

"hey handsome, next time don't take so long" Cynder smirked as Spyro chuckled.

"I'll try not to keep you waiting next time" he replied as they coiled tails, and Cynder nuzzled the purple dragon, suddenly, Spyro started having a spasm as he fell to the ground.

"Spyro? SPYRO!" Cynder cried out as Spyro's electrical element seemed to be in effect, surrounding his body and sending jolts of lightning into the sky, finally, he let out a shriek and collapsed to the floor, unconscious.

"Someone, get help!" Cynder cried out as Ignitus and Incendia peered out to the fields.

"Cynder, what happened?" Ignitus asked as the Dragoness explained the situation.

"Oh my...do you know why it happened?" Incendia asked as Cynder shook her head.

"We were just walking through the fields and he just started having a spasm" she replied as Ignitus scooped up Spyro onto his back.

"I'll take him to Glacia, she should be able to help us, but I must kindly request that you stay here, Cynder" the Fire Guardian explained as Cynder appeared to be distraught.

"But Ignitus, I want to help" Cynder tried to convince him, but his answer stayed the way it was.

"Incendia, watch Cynder, I don't want her following me" Ignitus instructed his mate as she turned to face Cynder.

"will do, Ignitus" she replied as the Fire Guardian rushed off, still carrying the unconscious Spyro on his back, leaving Cynder to only worry.

* * *

**Hey Y'all, it's me again, just figured I'd once again apologize for the long wait for this chapter, things have really been ramping up in my personal life lately, but that doesn't mean I forgot about you, and sorry, for the short chapter, right now, anything is good enough considering the long wait, and I'll try not to take as long on Chapter 16, so I'll see y'all later, peace!**


	16. Chapter 16: a darker reality

**Hey, my dudes, sorry it's been so long, been busy with stuff, Covid-19, digital school, life just gets you, but I've also been busy since I've been writing a long term FNaF AU story on...Wattpad! Which I highly recommend you check out if you're into highschool stories, or heavy emphasis on "Fangle" (And yes, I know the highschool concept is overused, but just work with me here), my profile and name should be the same, or you can just type Spyro x Cynder into the search bar since I released the first three Skylanders books onto Wattpad, and they've somehow made it to the top of the search filter, seriously, people are loving that shit despite it being poorly written and everything, also, chapters 10-14 have been reworked, and are more PG Family friendly, so yeah, enjoy this short and sweet new chapter, huzzah!**

* * *

Chapter 16: a darker reality

"Gah!" Spyro shot upright as he was pushed back down onto the bed he laid on.

"Easy, young dragon, you've been asleep for quite some time" He looked over to see Ignitus striding up to him.  
"Ignitus...What happened?" Spyro asked as the Fire Guardian shook his head.

"I'm afraid I'm not quite sure, you just passed out" Ignitus replied as Spyro sighed. "I remember...darkness, and death, but...it's all a blur..." He trailed off as Ignitus helped him up.

"Well, I suggest you go find Cynder, she's been worried about you all week" Ignitus recommended as Spyro looked up in shock. "What!? A week!?" He exclaimed as Ignitus nodded.

"Unfortunately, that is the case, Young Dragon, and she is very concerned" He explained as Spyro looked at the ground. "Where is she?" He asked as Ignitus pointed to the door.

"I left her with Incendia" As Ignitus said this, Spyro grew more concerned. "Wait...you left her with Incendia? You're positive she isn't like secretly evil or something?" He asked as Ignitus brushed off the comment.

"Now, I believe that your lover is waiting for you on the other side of this door" He gestured with his massive wing for Spyro to exit the nurse's room, and out to the Courtyard. When he exited, he saw Cynder and all of his friends waiting.

"Spyro!" Cynder ran up and hugged him tightly. "Hey Cynder..." Spyro trailed off as his other friends came up to him, Shard seemed the most concerned.

"Spyro, are you alright?" He asked as Spyro smirked and nodded. "Yeah, yeah I'm feeling better" Spyro responded as Shard hugged him, much to Spyro's surprise.

"Well, I'm glad that nothing super bad happened to you" Shard pulled from the hug. "Hey...wheres Incendia?" Spyro asked the other friends as they all seemed to shrug.

_"Odd..."_ Spyro thought to himself as he left the others, much to their confusion, and attempted to find Incendia. He felt something strange was going on, there's no way that Incendia suddenly coming back from the dead couldn't not coincide with him suddenly pass out.

"I need to find her" He didn't even bother to wait for any of his friends.

* * *

"Um, did Spyro seem kinda weird?" Terrain asked as Shard agreed and he looked at Spyro, who was walking further away into the Courtyard. "I'm worried about him..." Cynder expressed her concern.

"I'll go after him" Shard was about to follow, but was stopped by Flame. "No, I think he just needs some space" He figured as they let Spyro be.

* * *

"Excellent! Everything is going according to plan!" Malefor laughed as Rose stood silently beside him. "Now, we just need our little puppet to execute the rest of the plan" He informed Rose as he left the incantation chamber, however, unaware to him, Rose moved towards the magical viewer, and started using the puppet for her own means, making sure no one was able to see her, and begun to manipulate the being to her will.

* * *

**Well, that's that, apologies for such a short chapter, as I've said I've been writing on Wattpad and school exists, so yeah, remember to wash your hands and stay safe, people, peace out!**


	17. Chapter 17: Origins Revealed

Chapter 17: Origins revealed **(Hopefully a longer chapter too) **

Spyro's search eventually led him to the outer fields of the courtyard on a hillside, where he found...nothing. "Well, that was anti climatic..." Spyro said in a totally not self-aware tone, and turned to see a small rock on the ground. He picked up the rock and sat down.

"Ah, I don't know what I'm doing, it's like...something out of a dream" He muttered to himself as he chucked the rock, and looked at the trees in the distance, taking in the calming smells and sights of the forest, Spyro took the time to properly think about everything: about Cynder, about Ignitus, about everything that has transpired in his life. "Why me? Why do all these things happen to me..." Spyro sighed, suddenly he heard cheering and other noises coming from the courtyard.

_"What's that all about?"_ He wondered as he backtracked to the courtyard to see Incendia was being crowded by other dragons, Spyro wasn't sure what was going on, but he didn't like it. "I wonder..." He trailed off and he slowly walked towards the sight he was seeing. As he walked up to them, he saw that all the dragons seemed to be smiling and complimenting her, odd considering that she had recently brought back from the dead. But when they looked at Spyro, they showed signs of mistrust.

"Odd..." He seem confused as he went to go find Cynder, maybe she knew something. He took to the sky to get a bird's eye view of the Temple, he eventually found the Dragoness walking around the Temple's garden. "Cynder!" He called to her as she looked up to see him landing in front of him.

"Spyro! There you are! You had me worried" Cynder told Spyro as he sighed. "Yeah, sorry about that, I've been held up, anyways, I've got some weird news..." Spyro started talking with Cynder, little did they realize there was a Dragoness watching from the shadows.

* * *

"Gaul! I require you're presence!" Malefor's voice echoed through the halls of his fortress, catching Gaul's attention, he now bore an eye-patch, thanks to Malefor's demeanor, as he trekked through the halls, other Apes stared at him, mocking him, or keeping their distance. As he entered Malefor's throne room, the large purple dragon noticed his entry. "Ah, Gaul, come in please" He gestured for the Ape to enter, and so he did.

"I do believe we got off on poor terms, and I apologize, but now I have...greater plans, a fair bit of those involving you. You see, while I have my little puppet off in the Temple, I'm still intent on conquering these lands, but Rose can only do so much, and you are an Ape yourself..." Malefor trailed off, his eyes didn't move at all as he spoke with complete fluency. "Now come with me, I have something to show you" He led Gaul to a separate room by the throne room, as they entered, Gaul noticed that the walls started looking more like natural caves.

_"Where's he taking me?"_ He wondered as they finally came to an a ledge, however, the area below them was not bottomless, there were gems sprouting from the ground as dozens of enslaved Dragons were being forced to mine them by Apes. "What is this place?" Gaul asked as Malefor smirked.

"I'm glad you asked, this is where I harvest our elemental gems to restore my mana, I also taught you all to artificially harness their power, but onto important matters: I've brought you here to discuss what I believe to be the best course of action, with Rose being the obvious choice for a spy of some kind, I figured you could have...a larger role. As my general" Malefor said the last part with a smirk as he held out his hand to Gaul, though he was surprised at first, he accepted without hesitation.

_"This will give me the respect I deserve"_ Gaul thought to himself with a menacing look in his eye, which didn't concern Malefor by the slightest, he merely had the Ape follow him back to the throne room. "Now begone with you..." Malefor sent Gaul about his business.

* * *

"That's weird, right?" Spyro asked Cynder as he finished listing his weird experience with Incendia, Cynder didn't seem troubled. "I think you're being paranoid" Her response was what shocked Spyro.

"Paranoid? Cynder, she only came back from the dead a week ago, are you certain there isn't anything going on? Plus, you don't seem like yourself" Spyro responded to her as she seemingly brushed off the comment. "What the hell...?" Spyro muttered to himself, the normal Cynder would've taken this seriously, something was wrong. Then, he heard a rustle coming from the bushes, as he got closer, a large shape jumped out and tackled him.

"Ah!" Spyro was startled as he felt the hard concrete on his back, but this allowed him to see who his attacker was: it was Rose. "Hello again, Spyro, long time no see" She grinned evilly as Spyro seemed surprised by how big she'd gotten. "Someone gained a few pounds" He remarked, causing Rose to growl.

"I would watch your attitude if I was you, Malefor has gifted me many things during my service to him, including the strength to kill you" Rose brandished her claws for Spyro to see as she lowered them dangerously close to his face. "But, as much as I'd love to do this, I have other purposes for being here. It seems as though not everyone was affected by my spell to trust Incendia" She grimaced as Spyro looked in surprise.

"That was you? You made everyone trust her!? What's your plan with Incendia!?" Spyro's mouth was covered as they both heard people coming. "In short, she's Malefor's puppet, but now you need to keep quiet..." Rose tapped his forehead as he became unconscious. Then she summoned magic into her palms as she rested them on his form, and suddenly a purple mist rose from his body, and within an instant, the mist had become a perfect clone of Spyro.

"You know what to do..." Rose told the clone as it nodded and walked off to distract the people coming, allowing Rose to drag away Spyro's unconscious body away with her. "Now, to take my prize to Malefor..." Rose smiled evilly as he took to the sky.

* * *

Why are we doing this? He's probably fine" Terrain asked Shard as they walked towards the gardens. "I want to make sure he's alright, plus, I don't feel uncomfortable around Incendia right now" He responded. "Personally, I don't think there's anything wrong with her" Terrain said as Shard sighed.

"Of course you'd say that" Shard remarked as they were about to enter the gardens, they saw Spyro walking towards them. "Hey Spyro, you okay?" Shard asked as Spyro simply looked at him.

"Uh...yeah" He replied rather robotically. "You don't seem fine to me with a voice like that" Terrain replied as Shard glanced behind him to see a large dragon flying away.

"Wait...is that?" Shard was about to go further, but Spyro attempted to shoot him with flames. "Ah! Evil Spyro!" Terrain exclaimed as Shard froze him into an ice cube.

"That's obviously not our Spyro, look!" Shard directed Terrain's attention to the small purple figure in the larger Dragon's hand. "Well shit" Terrain sighed as they saw a Dragon running up to them.

"You two, Incendia's trying to kill Ignitus!" His statement made them panic. "WHAT!?" Shard yelled as he shoved the Dragon aside. "Come on!" He told Terrain and the other Dragon as they went to stop Incendia from making a horrible mistake.


	18. Chapter 18: Spellbound

Chapter 18: Spellbound

"What's going on!?" Shard exclaimed as he and Terrain rushed up to Flame. "It's Incendia, she's trying to kill Ignitus!" He replied as Shard shoved him aside.

"I know that, why is she doing it though?" He asked as Flame shrugged and they rushed to see that Incendia had Ignitus tightly grasped by the neck. "Incendia, my love...why are you doing this!?" Ignitus desperately searched for an answer from her, but her eyes gleamed a soulless purple with slight flames burning from the sides.

_**"You really thought it was true, didn't you? that your love could return from the grave!? Nonsense, no one could undo such damage!" **_Incendia spoke, her voice mutilated and seeming to house two beings, but Ignitus knew who it was. "Malefor..." He grimaced, causing the possessed Incendia to laugh.

_**"You finally figured it out, old fool, bravo, I'll give you that." **_Malefor laughed through his puppet and she started glowing purple. "But why this, Malefor?" Ignitus asked. "Didn't have the courage, that's what I'll say." Nero growled as Incendia's body blasted him away with a stream of purple fire.

_**"Because why not take such a glorious opportunity to wipe you all out with the very dragon you love, Incendia here is a timebomb, an emotional one at that, within minutes she'll wipe everyone in this accursed Temple to dust, including herself!" **_Malefor cackled as his voice faded and Incendia lifted further upwards, glowing brighter and brighter.

"Everyone, we have to evacuate the Temple now!" Ignitus yelled, causing everyone rushed for the exit. "Wait!? Where's Spyro!? He's still in the Temple somewhere!" Cynder cried as Ignitus stopped.

"You're right..." The Fire Guardian turned to face the Temple, and then grabbed Cynder. "Wait!? What are you doing?" She asked as Ignitus closed his eyes.

"I'll explain later, Cynder, but first, we need to not get vaporized." He clutched the Dragoness close to his chest as Incendia let out a massive blast of purple energy, which spread out across the entire Temple, but no further. As Ignitus landed with Cynder in his arms, his back was covered in dirt and muck, but she was clean as a whistle.

"There you are, Young Dragoness." Ignitus put Cynder and walked to the others. "Is everyone alright?" He asked as they all looked around.

"All the guardians are present and accounted for." Terrador looked amongst the other guardians and their mates. "Wait...where's Nero and Spyro?" One of the cadets asked as they looked at the smoldering wreckage of their former home.

"No..." Cynder was concerned while Ignitus looked down in distress. "Everyone, listen to me, our home may be gone, but take solace...we shall march to the city of Warfang for refuge, it will be close, I promise, from there we can discuss the situation we find ourselves in." The Fire Guardian announced as they started their voyage, but Cynder was still concerned.

"Cynder, it's all right, Spyro is alive." Ignitus told her as she looked at him, confused. "When we were escaping the Temple, I could not detect his elemental signature within the building. He's out there." He explained and Cynder appeared to have shed a small tear.

"Are you going to be okay, Ignitus? With what has happened?" Terrador walked to him as he sighed. "I shall deal with my own emotions in due time, but right now we must focus on finding Spyro...wherever he is."

* * *

"Ah, excellent!" Malefor smiled as he watched the destruction of the Dragon Temple through dark magic. "My lord, Rose returns." One of the Apes bowed to him as he watched Rose enter his fortress with a peculiar package.

"Malefor, my master, I bring you a prize...the purple dragon." She held an exhausted Spyro up to Malefor, who plucked him out of her grip with dark magic as it formed around his paw and floated him towards the Dark Master.

"Leave us." He commanded as Rose looked up in surprise. "But my lord-" She was cut off as Malefor gave her a menacing stare. "You think I fear him? He couldn't even beat me on his own, now: Leave. Us." He growled, and Rose did so, leaving the two purple dragons together.

"Funny that we find ourselves in this predicament once more, purple dragon, it's a shame that I forgot your name...not that I cared." Malefor chuckled as he forced Spyro into a cage made from dark magic. "You won't get away with this, Malefor. My friends will-" Spyro was cut off by Malefor's laughing.

"Your friends!? Your friends have been turned to ash!" He snapped his fingers and showed Spyro to destroyed Temple. "No...Cynder!" Spyro cried as Malefor rolled his eyes.

"Ugh! I forgot about how annoying you were about her, I really had hoped that she survived. I could've used the extra power." Malefor's statement drew confusion from Spyro. "What are you talking about?" He asked The Dark Master, who seemed to be mumbling to himself, but eventually turned to face Spyro.

"Naturally you have no idea how important you and Cynder are to my plans." He replied and begun to explain. "Why do you think there was never a second fear dragon at your temple? Think about it." Malefor had Spyro thinking.

"Because Ignitus and the others weren't able to find a second Fear egg, and so they replaced it with another Shadow egg...Cynder." Spyro answered as Malefor clapped. "You catch on quickly. Yes, They couldn't find another one...because I arranged it to be so. Ignitus was so certain that he'd kept me in the dark on training you lot, that he instinctively let his guard down, I knew of your egg, and I needed it. But I knew you'd never be willing to join me, that's where Cynder came into play, I stole her egg and implanted instructions to ensure you fell into my hands, as it was that I pulled the strings that allowed for your safe transportation to the Temple. Your parents on the other hand...had a much different fate." Malefor paused as Spyro growled.

"After that, I ensured that Cynder's egg found it's way into the hatchery...but, your blasted nobility got in the way, you imprinted upon her...it overrode the instructions I had so clearly put into place. I was forced to come up with a new plan because of this, and so it was that I had Rose use a spell to brainwash everyone into believing you and Cynder hated each other, and made Cynder your rival...but you broke through that spell too. However, if Cynder lives, I'll trap her, and then drain both of your life-force, making me the most powerful dragon in the world, as it always should've been." Malefor had finished his rant and allowed Spyro to process it all.

"But...I...I will stop you!" He said confidently, causing Malefor to laugh evilly once again. "What do you think you'll be able to do, the cage you're in is impenetrable, only powers that you can't even use are able to destroy it, which makes you powerless to do anything...including stopping me." Malefor responded as he left and kept Spyro to himself.

"Oh Cynder...I hope you're alright."

* * *

Cynder looked at the various trees as they kept treading through the forest. She could feel that Spyro was somewhere, she just had to look. "Hey Cynder? You okay?" She turned to see Shard. "Yeah...I'm fine." Cynder responded as Shard kept walking with her awkardly.

"Hey, listen...I know we didn't get off to a great start when you and Spyro first started...you know, dating. But I wouldn't mind having a clean slate with you, if that's okay." Shard requested as Cynder stared at him.

"Sure, I'd be happy too...but right now I need to find Spyro." She quickly turned away while Shard appeared disgruntled. "But Cynder, Ignitus told us to reach Warfang first, and then discuss our next move of attack." He explained while Cynder brushed the comment aside.

"I know, but look around. Our moral is low, Nero is dead and Spyro is missing, possibly captured by Malefor. I can't just sit around and do nothing while he's doing who knows what to the only Dragon I've ever loved!" Cynder exclaimed and blasted a tree stump with her poison, causing Shard to back away. "Woah, I didn't think you and Spyro thought of each other like that." He pointed out as the Dragoness calmed down and turned back around.

"Ever since that battle in the training arena, everything changed between us, we just...clicked together, he was the only one to look at me like I wasn't a freak...I don't think you really knew how I was viewed amongst them?" She pointed her tail blade at the other Secondary Element Dragons. "No...I thought you were like the top of the food chain." Shard figured as she shook her head.

"They thought I was a freak, Spyro was the only one I trusted...especially when we were younger." The last part made Shard flinch. "I think I'm starting to remember...me and Spyro were close friends in our youth, and then...Rose...Rose made us hate each other, I remember...I know why I love Spyro, and he was plucked away from me through a spell, and now...he's been plucked away by Malefor..." Cynder explained as Shard seemed greatly surprised.

"You...actually remember." He said as the Dragoness nodded and looked at the sky. "I'm going to get Spyro back...whether Ignitus is okay with it or not...I'm going to save the one thing I hold dear, and bring him home, Shard." Cynder turned to face him as they kept walking with the other Dragons.

* * *

Gaul was sharpening his blade when Rose entered the armory. "Shouldn't you be sulking in the shadows?" He asked smugly as Rose scoffed. "Shouldn't you be boot-licking Malefor?" She retorted in an equally smug tone, causing Gaul to growl.

"At least I get the job done more efficiently." He replied while Rose yawned. "If by that you mean jeopardize our plans all the time, then I agree." Rose grinned while Gaul turned to face her with his sharpened blade.

"Make no mistake, Whelpling, I will be Malefor's most ruthless and effective general in his entire army. While you merely retain the petty role of spy, I will be conquering battlefields!" Gaul declared confidently while Rose laughed.

"Oh please! You can't even kill two little dragons properly, what makes you think you'll be a competent general?" She asked mockingly. "The Dark Master has faith..." Gaul presented this point, causing Rose to have slight concern about her position of power, though she didn't show this.

"Well, Malefor wouldn't waste such time with you, you're not nearly as powerful as I am." Rose exclaimed as Gaul merely moved for the exit. "And yet...I'm the general of Malefor's armies." He left Rose to take in his point, now it seemed like he would get the respect he deserved. Meanwhile, Rose was beginning to worry about how long Malefor would keep her around.

_"He wouldn't...would he?"_ She wondered as she left the Armory and went to her quarters to contemplate this.

* * *

"Everyone, we will take shelter here for the night, find a place to rest for the night, we move out in the morning." Ignitus announced as everyone prepared to rest for the night as the two full moons showed themselves in the sky amongst the stars, Cynder found a place amomgst the others and watched the sky while the others would drift into sleep, but she didn't. Instead she quietly grabbed a small satchel, one of the few items they had preserved from the Temple, and walked over to some red and green crystals.

"I'll probably need these..." She whispered as she yanked out the stem of the Mana gems and placed it in her bag, then she grabbed the health gems and placed those in her bag. "Cynder? What're you doing?" She turned to see Sparx.

"Sparx, go back to sleep, this doesn't concern you." She replied sternly, causing the Dragonfly to cross his arms. "Last I checked, everything you did concerned me...you're going to save Spyro, aren't you?" He asked as Cynder sighed.

"I can't just leave him with the Dark Master, I'm going and you can't stop me." She replied while Sparx smiled. "Who says I was gonna stop you, I'm coming with you, Spyro's my bro." He surprised Cynder.

"One question, how do you know that the Dark Master has him?" Sparx asked Cynder as she started walking. "Just a feeling..." She trailed off as they walked into the forest, away from the others.

* * *

**Ah look, the internet guy is back and writing stuff, in other words, I'm going to try and not be as inactive, especially with the direction I'm taking for this story, think of it like IDW's Transformers comic books, as in we're gonna take the characters in new directions and whatnot...anyways, bye.**


	19. Chapter 19: Cross the sky for you

Chapter 19: Cross the Sky for you

Spyro was curled up in his cage when he noticed Malefor entering his chambers, Spyro pretended to stay asleep while Malefor went about his buisness. "What's this?" Malefor was viewing something through his dark magic as Rose entered.

"My liege, may I speak with you?" She asked as the Dark Master looked up at her.

"Speak, and do it quickly." He growled as Rose looked at the cage where Spyro was, and then at Malefor.

"I don't trust Gaul, why would you make him general of the entire army?" She asked as Malefor smirked.

"Oh I trust Gaul as much as I could kill him, but I cannot deny his cunning tactics and strategic genius, you would do well to respect that, Rose." Malefor explained while Rose seemed very concerned.

"But master, he-" Rose was cut off by fire blasting over her head.

"In due time, I expect you to respect my judgement, now leave!" Malefor ordered as Rose growled in distaste and did as she was commanded to. "I know you were listening." Malefor turned to face Spyro, who lifted himself upright.

"You should know I don't tolerate disobedience, something you will come to understand, but that's not important right now...what is important is that I have larger plans for you and Cynder...speaking of which." He showed Spyro a projection of Cynder and Sparx roaming through the forest.

"Cynder! Sparx!" Spyro cried out as Malefor smiled evilly.

"Yes, they're alive and well, and from the looks of it, the two of them are trying to come and rescue you...how...hopelessly heroic." Malefor faded the projection.

"Cynder will rescue me!" Spyro said confidently while Malefor laughed.

"Oh please, all she's going to do is inadvertently fulfill my plans when I harness both of your life-forces and become the ultimate weapon...in fact, I'll hasten their progress..." Malefor grinned while Spyro looked hopelessly at the projection of Cynder and Sparx, knowing they would be walking into a trap.

* * *

"Ugh, we haven't made any progress!" Cynder groaned as she and Sparx trekked through the forest.

"Not to mention we've been going in a circle." Sparx added while Cynder sighed and they decided instead to simply go forward instead of the circle they'd been going in unknowingly.

"Wait...whose that?" Cynder looked at a strange figure in the shadows.

"I don't know but I'd personally like to not die...so how 'bout you don't go to the creepy guy in the shade." Sparx tried to stop Cynder but she went towards the figure anyways. "Um...Spikey? Come back!" He chased after her, but she seemed stuck in some kind of trance, her eyes looked hypnotized as they lasped through multiple shades of green, blue, and yellow.

"Cynder...Cynder!" Sparx waved his hand in front of her face while she hobbled to the figure. "Listen mate, if you don't let her g-agh!" The Dragonfly was swatted aside as the figure knelt down in front of Cynder, and a stream of purple energy flowed from his forehead into hers. He suddenly dispersed and Cynder fainted.

"You gotta be kidding me..." Sparx sighed as he flew to the Dragoness. "Hey...anyone home?" He asked the unconscious Cynder while she lay there, unmoving.

* * *

Rose entered the war room to see Gaul was formulating a plan of attack for something disclosed. "So...what has Malefor got you to work on now?" She asked the Ape general, who merely grimaced at the sight of seeing Rose.

"If you must know: our master has set me to work on crafting an attack plan on the Dragon city of Warfang. He believes something valuable lies within the city's vault, so he's having me formulate a plan on how to get inside the city." Gaul explained while Rose walked up to the war table.

"How...quaint." She replied simply, causing Gaul to eye her, his eyepatch becoming more visible.

"Is there anything you want to say?" He asked her as she shook her head and turned away.

"Do you trust in the Dark Master's judgement?" She asked Gaul, who simply seemed surprised.

"What do you mean? The Dark Master's wisdom is inexpendable." He responded, causing Rose to turn around.

"I know, I know, but his judgement...does he want what's best for us?" Her question made Gaul on edge.

"You're sounding awfully treasonous, Rose..." He pointed out as Rose merely left the war room. Once she was outside, she walked to the hangars where the Apes were tending to their Dreadwings, and stared into the forest, in the direction of Warfang.

_"I'm beginning to question Malefor's judgement, when he recruited me, he spoke of power and undisputed leadership, with me at his side. But now...so far he hasn't delivered." _Rose was starting to question why she did what she did, the killing, the betrayal...Shard. It was true that at one point in time, Rose possessed feelings for him...that time had passed...or had it really? She didn't know...but The Dark Master was certainly confident in her loyalty. Rose also knew of Cynder and that she was coming this way. Maybe...something could be done to win back her place in the chain of command.

* * *

Sparx buzzed around the form of Cynder, whom still laid on the ground unconscious. "Hello? I swear if you don't wake up, I will personally slap you until you do." Sparx demanded just as Cynder coincidentally regained consciousness. "Finally, you've been out for awhile." The Dragonfly said grumpily while Cynder shook her head.

"How long was I out?" She asked while Sparx shrugged.

"Probably 15 minutes or so." He replied.

Cynder sighed. "That's not awhile, then, awhile would be at least a few hours." She criticized Sparx who groaned in response.

"I liked you better when you were sleeping...now, can we continue trying to get my bro back." Sparx responded, referring to Spyro.

"Well...I know it's gonna sound weird, but I think I know where to find Malefor's fortress, like the exact location." Cynder explained, causing Sparx to cross his arms in suspicion.

"Really...You realize that creepy shadow guy gave that to you, right? That means it's obviously a trap." Sparx said while Cynder grabbed the gem bag that had fallen off of her.

"Then our next move: spring the trap." She said confidently and walked off in the direction of the fortress, leaving Sparx as he sighed.

"Seriously...why did I go along with this?" He said to himself as he flew after Cynder.

* * *

Spyro was in his cage pondering the recent events that were unfolding before him, Malefor was leading his friends into a trap, and he couldn't tell them anything. But he definitely needed to get out of here. _"Maybe...just maybe..." _Spyro stood up and rammed himself into the cage, which stun him in response, but he did so again, this time, the cage seemed to falter. He gave it another charge, and the cage actually seemed to form cracks in it's display. He didn't know if Malefor could feel his magic being tampered with, but he didn't want to stick around long once he got out.

"Come on..." Spyro growled as he rammed into the cage again, this time is fully shattered and he slid across the floor. He was free. "Well, now that that's done, I say it's time to leave." He brushed off his shoulder as he ran to the entrance and looked out the hall both ways.

He was in the clear. _"Good, now I just need to get to Cynder before she walks into a trap." _He said in his thoughts as he snuck through the halls of the fortress, attempting to stay out of sight.

* * *

"I've officially called this meeting to order today, to address our most recent plan: attack the Dragon City: Warfang." Malefor announced as Rose and Gaul watched him walk up to the war table. "Have you analyzed the best route for entry?" He asked Gaul, who nodded in response.

"Excellent, I assume you've also located the object of interest?" The Dark Master said as Gaul nodded once again. "Perfect, I thought too small before, merely harnessing the power of Cynder and the other Purple Dragon wouldn't be enough to conquer this pathetic world...but with the recent news of Ignitus having survived my attempt to destroy the Temple, I think it's time that we change strategies." Malefor explained as he turned to face Rose and Gaul.

"Ready the troops, and dispose of the Purple Dragon. As far as we're concerned: he no longer has any use for me." He informed Gaul, who went to prepare the legions, while Rose went to find and dispose of Spyro, leaving Malefor to himself, who looked at the war table.

"Soon...the power of the universe will be in my grasp."

* * *

"You sure this is the place, Spikey?" Sparx asked as he and Cynder walked up to Malefor's fortress.

"Do I think the giant and ominous tower is the Dark Master's fortress? Yes I do, now come on." Cynder replied sternly.

"You'd think this would be more visible to us..." Sparx questioned the logic but then followed Cynder, who was at the wall, and started to scale it. "Uh, what are you doing?" He asked as she started climbing upwards.

"If I know Malefor, then he'd easily spot us flying in, so the best way to get in is to scale the building, now shut up, you're gonna break my concentration." Cynder informed the Dragonfly as she climbed further up on the tower.

"She's absolutely crazy..." Sparx trailed off as he followed her.

* * *

Spyro crept through the halls, making sure to keep his presence masked as he dodged Ape patrols and other defenses.

"_Now I gotta find the exit, and get to Cynder before she gets to me." _Spyro thought as he walked down one almost deserted hall. It was quiet...a little too quiet for the Purple Dragon's liking. "This seems too easy..." He muttered as he turned the corner to see a door, curious, he opened the door to reveal a small room, with not too much to really grasp his attention. All that was in the room was a large table with maps on it.

"What's this?" He asked as he tried to reach to table's height to see what was on it. "That's...Warfang? The Dragon city, I've only ever heard about it from the historic texts. What does Malefor want with it?" He asked himself in confusion, he saw a knife in one part of the map, seeming to mark a specific point of interest in the city. As he looked closer he saw some kind of gem that was highlighted on the map.

_"What is that?" _Spyro wondered when he heard a door open from behind him.

"Well, there you are!" Spyro turned to see Rose standing in the door frame, before he could do anything, the Fear dragoness had him pinned to the ground. "You should know better than to run off like you did, and now..." She tossed Spyro into the hall.

"Your usefulness has come to an end." Rose entered a battle stance while Spyro regained his footing and did the same, preparing for what was to come.

* * *

**Well, that was fun, if you aren't aware, the title of this chapter is a reference to the song that plays in the credits of Dawn of The Dragon, so there's that, anyways...peace! **


	20. Chapter 20: Inner Conflict

**Hey guys just a heads up, if you didn't know, this happened a few months back, but I removed the Lemon stuff from the book entirely, just because someone wants one, doesn't mean I should have to go through with it, you can thank SKdaGamer for that, he's been helping me improve my craft through the reviews he's left, once this is all over, I might go back to work on the previous chapters to grammer-fix them and make them better. Since we're at the 20th chapter, I feel like I owe you some kind of speech (Which I will do again for my 50th chapter when that comes), I'm very grateful to all of you who've stuck around for this long. I'm going to admit that the beginning of this story was very rocky with some concepts and execution, but all we can do now is look towards the future, and I feel like the current story I'm working towards will be pretty good, and much less jarring than the beginning of this tale. Personally: I'd like to thank Illusionmaster17, Anacondra1, and of course, SKdaGamer for sticking with this story for as long as they have, with the latter giving me good advice and ways to improve my craft and whatnot. This is starting to get long enough already, so I'll say this much: Thank you, stay safe, and wash those dirty hands, now...onto the story!**

* * *

Chapter 20: Inner conflict

"Cynder...how much farther?" Sparx groaned in irritation while Cynder ignored his complaining, and continued to scale the side of the tower. "Seriously, my wings are getting tired." He whined, causing Cynder to reach out and pluck him in her paw, and placed him in her gem bag.

"There, now quit complaining or I'll turn you into a lantern." She said briskly while coming up on a large hangar bay door, but not before looking down, all she saw were the clouds below her as she moved to the hangar. _"Just keep climbing, Cynder." _She herself was starting to get nervous from the height she was at, as she climbed over to the hangar bay, she lost footing on part of the wall.

"Woah!" She cried, startled and fearful, and unfortunately, she was loud enough that some nearby Apes heard her.

"What was that?" One of them said as they walked over to the hangar door.

"Spikey, what's going on?" Sparx peaked his head out of the bag, only to have him shoved back under by Cynder, who at this point was hanging by one paw. She then used her Shadow element to turn invisible right as the Apes looked over the edge.

"I don't see anything." One of them said.

"Probably just a bird." The other Ape guessed while the first one raised an eyebrow.

"That's a weird sound for a bird to make." The first one replied as they walked away, allowing Cynder to put her other hand on the ledge of the hangar, and crawled in, still invisible.

_"That was close."_ She sighed quietly in relief and snuck past the guards, as soon as she was certain she was alone, she uncloaked herself.

"Phew, that was close!" Sparx flew out of the bag.

"Be quiet! Your blabbering could be the death of us!" Cynder scolded the Dragonfly as they looked around the dreary and saturated Purple hallways.

"So...where do we start?"Sparx asked as the Dragoness shrugged and they walked to the left, beginning their search for Spyro...and speaking of Spyro.

* * *

Spyro was slammed into the wall as Rose attempted to swipe at him with her claws, but he managed to hold back her massive paw by channeling his Earth element to strengthen herself. "I still don't get it? Why betray Shard? He loved you." Spyro asked trying to keep her claw tip from making contact with his eye.

"I'll say what I said at the Temple: I had a higher calling." She grabbed Spyro and tossed him further down the hall, Rose towered over the Purple Dragon **(To give you a size estimate, she's probably as big as corrupted Cynder from A New Beginning)**.

"Are you sure, or is that what the Dark Master made you think?" Spyro started trying to peel into her inner layers, all while trying to avoid death at her paws.

"You know nothing of Malefor!" Rose roared, trying to blast him with Fear, but he dodged and zapped her slightly with his electricity breath, stunning her briefly as he flew in for quick punch in the face...only to have it happen to him while Rose grabbed his face and slammed him in the ground. "I know The Dark Master, he would never lie." She growled while watching Spyro struggle.

"Do you really know him? You served him loyally for all those years, and you never questioned what he'd do once you weren't useful to him anymore? Dammit, Rose! Actually think rationally for a moment! What was the point of serving him if all you did was betray those who trusted you...especially Shard. He still thinks about you, day and night...Rose, come home. We miss you..." Spyro's statement made Rose hesitate for a moment, her eyes shifted slightly, they changed to her natural blue eyes instead of the red eyes she possessed normally.

"I...I can't go home...I have nowhere else to go!" She snarled in defense while Spyro was still trapped under her unyielding grip.

"Rose...you have a place among us, you always have...Shard still believes that." He responded, suddenly Rose became more hostile and her eyes changed back to red as she pushed Spyro further into the ground.

"You're trying to fool me! It won't work!" She threw Spyro as he slid across the ground, and behind Rose emerged Malefor.

"Excellent work, Rose, my faith in you is restored." He said calmly, causing Rose to raise an eyebrow. "Well...isn't this quaint? The Purple Dragon unable to fight back...Rose, I expect you to finish the job." He plainly said to her as she nodded and walked up, kicking Spyro in the stomach, and grabbing his neck, preparing to choke him.

"This will be the last thing you ever see." Rose snarled as she was prepared to take the final blow.

"Rose...is this what Shard wants? Think for yourself for once! I thought you loved Shard...but if you're gonna do it...then do it." Spyro plead one final time, and then became more submissive, waiting for the blow. Rose was conflicted severely, her eyes slowly turning blue again.

"Well Rose? Go ahead, end this pretender." Malefor goaded her as she closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. She removed her paw off of Spyro's neck, allowing for the Purple Dragon to stand up.

"Thank you..." He said with a weak smile, causing Rose to give a slight look of empathy.

"How disappointing..." Malefor sighed as he froze Rose with dark magic.

"Ack!" She started losing air as Spyro stood up in shock and rushed towards her to try and help, only to be blasted back by Malefor.

"Why do you think I made such a pathetic prison for you? Purple Dragon? Do you think I'm that naive? I know Cynder and Sparx are in this very fortress, I knew of Rose's conflict within herself. I wanted you to escape...to test her...alas, it seems that nothing can ever really work out for long." He explained as he put one of his hands on Rose's shoulder, keep in mind he's still behind her..and imapled her with his own hand, grabbing her writhing heart, all while Spyro was watching.

"I told you...I don't tolerate disobedience..." He whispered to Spyro as he crushed her heart, blood spluttering onto Spyro's face, all while he watched in horror as Malefor removed his bloody hand from Rose's chest, she looked at the hole he'd left, and then at Spyro...and he could see that her eyes were filled regret...regret for leaving her only love in the world, and she fell on her side, trying to mutter something, but was unable to finish as the life faded from her eyes, and she reverted to her normal size.

"How disgusting...I expected her death to be more dramatic too." Malefor inspected the hand that was drenched in Rose's blood as Spyro charged at him. But he merely used Dark Magic to brush him aside into the wall. All without looking, as Spyro slid across the ground, he saw Malefor use Dark Magic to form shackles around him to chain him to the ground, and begun to shock him with Dark Lightning. The Dark Master watched in pleasure as Spyro writhed in pain, and screeching in agony. All the younger Dragon could keep his eyes on was Rose's bloody corpse while Malefor continued torturing him.

"Now: let's finish this." Malefor clenched his fist and resumed the Dark Lightning coarsing into Spyro.

* * *

"Where is everyone?" Cynder asked Sparx as he shrugged.

"Don't know, but-" He was cut off by a scream of agony ringing throughout the halls.

"That sounded like..." Cynder and Sparx both knew who it was.

"SPYRO!" They both said in unison while looking at each other, they were about to find the source of the scream but they were ambushed by a number of Apes.

"Uh...I'm just gonna go over here while you fight these guys." Sparx slowly flew to the side while Cynder entered a fighting stance.

"Well then, boys...come at me!" She challenged as the Apes all rushed at her simultaneously, and she begun to fight them, leaping into the air with grace and charging at one of them, kicking another Ape into the wall, scratching the one who she had in her grip, and kicking the Ape away.

"Is that the best you got?" She asked confidently as all the Apes charged at Cynder again, who was prepared for fight.

* * *

"Come on! Just die already!" Malefor grew irritated as Spyro tried to resist the painful lightning coarsing through his body.

"Never..." Spyro said through gritted teeth, all that did was increase the power of the lightning on him, making it all the more agonizing for the Purple Dragon.

"Oh stop being a hero for five seconds and let it kill you!" Malefor growled, then he caught sight of someone...it was Cynder.

"Spyro!" She cried as she tried to help him, but Malefor created a magic barrier that prevented her from breaking through. Spyro's vision was starting to fade as he couldn't make anything out, but just as the lightning was about to end his life...Malefor hesitated, and he started holding his head in pain, causing the shackles, lightning, and barrier to disperse.

"Spyro! Spyro!" Cynder ran up to him as she checked his pulse, he was alive...barely.

"Cynder, we gotta get him outta here before that guy comes out of whatever's happening to him." Sparx pointed at Malefor, still holding his head in pain.

"Right..." She managed to get Spyro on her back, and had his arms wrap around her neck, and fled with Sparx.

"No! I'm in control! Not you!" Malefor scolded himself as his eyes shifted color, and he collapsed from the sheer pain, and passed out.

_"Malefor, wake up my dear." Malefor opened his eyes to see a Dragoness laying in bed with him._

_"Good morning Synthia." He smiled lovingly and sat up and nuzzled her. _

_"For a moment I thought you'd stay asleep on me, come on, we've got to meet with Hazan." Synthia got out of bed, but Malefor was hesitant. _

_"When will we tell them...about us? I'm worried about how they'll take it, especially Ignitus, you know how he is." Malefor said to Synthia, who grinned at Malefor's nervousness. _

_"We'll tell them when the time is right, now come on." She kissed Malefor on the cheek as he sat up and they coiled their tails. _

_"Alright, I guess we can go now..." He replied and they left Malefor's quarters._

* * *

"Cynder, the hangar's this way!" Sparx pointed right and the Dragoness chose to go that way.

"There!" Cynder ran past the Apes trying to get her and the unconscious Spyro.

"So, Spikey...how we gonna get out of this one?" He asked Cynder as she grabbed the Dragonfly and put him in her gem bag. "Oh don't tell me we're gonna..." Sparx trailed off as Cynder jumped out of the hangar.

"JUMP!" Sparx screamed in terror while Cynder started channeling her wind abilities to make a current for them to travel safely through the air, she also spread her wings to make it easier to glide in the current, as soon as they found a good landing zone, she landed, and grabbed Sparx and some red gems.

"I'm gonna vomit..." He gagged as Cynder put him on the ground and broke the red gems, letting them swirl around Spyro and fly into him, healing the damage that was inflicted on him. Now she had to wait for him to wake up.

* * *

**So, Chapter 20 is done, once again, thanks to all of y'all for sticking with this story for this long, and I hope you guys do well in this time of panic, now, bye.**


	21. Chapter 21: Memories

**Keep in mind that Malefor, Synthia, Ignitus, and everyone else under Hazan's tutelage are about as old as Spyro in this Chapter.**

* * *

Chapter 21: Memories

_Many Years Ago..._

Malefor and Synthia walked through the garden to reach Hazan.

"Why are we going through the garden?" Malefor asked Synthia, who smiled and explained.

"Who am I to stop you from admiring the flowers." She replied as Malefor looked at them.

"Well, I suppose...they are beautiful, I could never understand why anyone would want to harm another creature, if you ask me, violence is never a just answer." He explained to Synthia as she walked up to him and nuzzled him.

"That's why I love you...so kind and empathetic, you have the warmest heart I've ever seen in a dragon." She complimented Malefor, who turned and faced her.

"Well, I can use the fire element, so..." He joked, causing Synthia to kiss him on the lips.

"Come on, you dork, Hazan's probably grumpy enough as it is that we're late." Synthia dragged Malefor through the garden, soon enough they had arrived and saw Ignitus with Hazan.

"Ah, there you are, Young Dragons, I was just about to have Froststorm go out and look for you." Hazan commented as Malefor and Synthia walked over to Ignitus.

"What'd we miss?" Malefor asked Ignitus, who shrugged.

"Not much, he was mostly grumbling about when you'd get here, you know him." He answered as Malefor chuckled and patted Ignitus's back.

"I bet he's fun to take care of." Malefor guessed as Ignitus nodded almost wearily, while Froststorm stayed where he was, it wasn't long before they were joined by 6 more dragons: Zepho, a Lightning Dragon with curved back blue horns and a yellow body with a few blue decals on his side representing lightning bolts with Yellow eyes. Scorpio, a Poison Dragon who was a pale dark green with a dull salmon-colored underbelly and orange eyes, he also had very curved horns which went downwards. Flora, a Fear Dragoness with dark red and black patterns all over her body, she had straight dark green horns. Breeze, a Wind Dragon that was a bright grey with dark grey wind symbols on his lower waist, and a deep navy blue underbelly, with slightly upward-curved horns. There was also Terrador as well, as for Synthia, Malefor described her as a beautiful Shadow Dragoness, with a very dark purple scale color along with a black underbelly and purple eyes, much like Malefor's own eyes. It was one of the things he felt was special about each other, although he hadn't told Hazan about their relationship yet, especially when he took into consideration the scrolls regarding Secondary and Primary Dragon couples, despite the fact he was a Purple Dragon

"Welcome students, I trust that last night went well for you?" He asked as they all nodded and Hazan paced from side-to-side. "Very good, as you know, with the recent activity involving the Ape revolts, I've made extra precautions to ensure that we're safe, the Temple will be concealed through certain Mage's I've paid or convinced to help shield us from view." He explained while Terrador made a passing comment to Malefor.

"By convince, I bet he meant threaten their lives." Malefor agreed, Hazan was a kind Dragon at heart, he was the only father he had, but when it came to certain matters. He went to certain measures to...convince other Dragons for certain favors through rather harsh methods.

"Well, if we're prepared for our lesson today, then we can begin, let's start with our physical warm-up to loosen your joints and better channel your respected elements." Hazan had all the Dragons do stretches, Malefor usually was the first to get his done, but he always admired Synthia's rather elegant way of stretching, it was very acrobatic, so much in fact that Malefor wondered if she even had bones. No matter what she was doing, she was beautiful when doing it, Malefor was certain of that, once their warm-ups were finished. Hazan begun his session for the day.

"Let's start with basic elemental comabt 101, I want each of you to show me what you know on this training dummy." Hazan presented a basic training dummy to test their skills. Respectively, each of the students show equal promise with their skill, but Malefor was not nearly as advanced. He was a pacifist, not prone to fighting, but he also had to master four elements, including his own Aether abilities, a few Dragons snickered when they saw him fumble, but Synthia managed to keep them quiet using one of her "looks".

"It's okay Malefor, you can do this...just calm yourself, and feel the Ancestor's blood coursing through you...and channel the energy on the target, I'm here with you, we can do this together." Hazan reassured Malefor as the Young Dragon nodded and did as instructed.

"Breath...and release!" Hazan said very carefully while Malefor did so and released a stream of pure Aether onto the dummy. "Very good, Malefor! Now I want to see some of your own personal studies...show me your magic." He told Malefor, who looked uncertain.

"Are you sure?" He asked as the older dragon nodded. "Okay...here goes nothing..." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, extending his hand out as a purple aura formed around it, he slowly lifted the dummy up into the air, causing surprise amongst the others, all except Ignitus, who was confident in Malefor's skills.

"I've got this..." The Purple Dragon breathed calmly and moved it around, crashing it onto the ground and slowly crushing it, before he formed a metaphysical blade and slashed the dummy in half, allowing for many applause while he made the blade disperse and opened his eyes.

"Very good Malefor, you know your skills, now go and join your friends. As for the rest of you, we shall have a quick break, then return, and then break for lunch, once that's done, the rest of the day is yours." Hazan dismissed them as Malefor walked up to Synthia and Ignitus.

"My friend, you never cease to amaze the crowd." Ignitus said while Synthia hugged the Purple Dragon.

"You were amazing!" She said happily, both wished they could hug longer, but they were forced to part due to secrecy.

"So, we have some time to kill, what should we do?" Terrador asked as Malefor tried to think of something.

"We could go to the Garden." He suggested while the others groaned, but Synthia giggled from amusement. "What?" He asked as Ignitus and Terrador looked at him.

"You always want to go to the garden." Ignitus pointed out, causing Malefor to raise a brow.

"So? It's peaceful there, being in tune with nature is good for your soul." He defended his reasons while Synthia walked to him.

"Why don't we have some Breakfast, we never really ate before arriving." She gave her own suggestion, which the boys agreed to, and they set out to find some food before Hazan called them back.

* * *

Malefor and the others were able to find a place to eat and had returned for the rest of Hazan's lesson, which took nearly two hours, so they were hungry again when they went to have lunch. However, Malefor wanted to have a lunch with just Synthia, a lunch date, if you will. Of course that's not what he described it as to Ignitus and Terrador, as far as they were concerned, it was just a friendly lunch together.

"Finally, I'm starving!" Malefor licked his lips in anticpation while he navigated through the menu, across from him, Synthia was doing the same and giggled at his comment, despite the fact they grew up in an isolated part of the world, Hazan was able to hire on some helping hands to craft original restaurant brands, one of the reasons was so they could feel like they were growing up normally, the other reason was pretty obvious...food.

"What do you think you're gonna get?" He asked Synthia, who scratched her head while she thought about it for a moment.

"I might try the cooked fish." She figured while Malefor kept looking at the menu.

"I'll probably go for the lamb." He responded, which didn't surprise Synthia in the slightest.

"I figured." She said with a loving smile while they waited for the waiter to come and take their order. "So Malefor...I've always wondered what you did study in your free time, but tell me more about your Magic studies, I'm very fascinated about what you know." Synthia inquired as Malefor put down his menu.

"Well, it takes a lot of practice, and it can really strain your mental thought process if you're not careful about it, but I reckon you could be a natural at it, given your skill in focus." Malefor complimented her as she blushed.

"Are you sure? I don't want to overshadow you, this is like your talent." Synthia was concerned for her lover, Malefor was indeed a Pacifist, but that also meant he hadn't harnessed his elemental skills nearly as well as the others, many looked down on him for it, since he was defying the nature of a Dragon, yet...Synthia thought he had just as much worth with or without powers, same with Ignitus and Terrador.

"It all depends on what you want to do, my Sapphire." He replied as they held hands for a brief moment, and then parted once the waiter arrived.

"Hello, my name is Fracture, I'll be taking your order today, what may I get for you? Any drinks to start off with?" He asked the two of them as they checked the menus.

"I'll take some water." Malefor requested while Synthia took awhile longer to confirm her order.

"Yeah...I'll go with water too." She said as the waiter wrote down their orders.

"Have we decided what we want to eat?" Fracture asked again while they confirmed their decisions.

"I'll have the cooked Lamb." Malefor said.

"And I'll have some cooked fish." Synthia requested while Fracture wrote it down.

"Okay...Lamb, Fish...and...Two waters. That it?" He asked as the two of them nodded and let him prepare the food.

"As I was saying, the choice to pursue magic is entirely up to you, Synthia, but it takes practice." Malefor continued while the Shadow Dragoness glanced at the table.

"Well, since you seem to be so keen on Magic, maybe I can help you with your elements." She suggested, causing Malefor to raise an eyebrow.

"What're you getting at?" He asked Synthia, who elaborated further.

"I'm saying I can help you get better at mastering your natural elemental abilities, and in return, you can teach me something about magic, and we could also spend more time together." Synthia clarified, which caught Malefor's attention.

"Really, you'd help me with something like that?"

"I would, if it made you happy, I'd do it 10 times."

"Only 10?"

Malefor joked as he stared into Synthia's eyes, after that, it didn't take long for the food to arrive, and they immediately began to chow down.

"Mmmm...this is delicious!" Malefor exclaimed as he began ripping off chunks eagerly, which amused Synthia. Their love was like something out of a dream, they had all been recruited by Hazan to become the next generation of warriors to fight against the possible Ape threat **(Unlike the dragons under Ignitus's care, they were not taken as eggs, they were taken at a reasonable age, and stayed in contact with their families)**. Malefor and Synthia had become instant friends, one reason was due to the fact they were paired together during duo sparring matches, and they shared a lot in common. So it was no surprise that one night Malefor had confessed his feelings for her under the two full moons, Synthia recalled the moment with bliss.

* * *

_"Malefor, where are you taking me?" Synthia asked the Purple Drake as he silently took her through the Temple, eventually coming to their destination._

_"Ah, here we are." He smiled, they were at one of Synthia's favorite locations: The lakeside. _

_"Malefor, what's this all about?" She wanted to know badly, but he kept deflecting._

_"Just wait..." Malefor trailed off as he directed her attention to the sky, soon enough, the clouds parted, and it would reveal a star-filled sky, and the two full Eclasian moons. _

_"Oh Malefor, it's beautiful." Synthia was in awe, and Malefor sat beside her. _

_"Yeah, I knew you'd like it...Synthia, I have something I've been meaning to get off of my chest for awhile now." He turned to face her, while she did the same, staring into her __amethyst made him more confident. "Okay...here goes everything..." Malefor took a deep breath and spoke. _

_"Synthia...you are one of the most incredible Dragonesses I've ever known, I couldn't possibly deserve someone as beautiful as you, everyone I've known pales in comparison to your heart and kindness..." He began, which caused Synthia to grow excited, she knew what he was going to say._

_"Malefor..." She whispered as the Purple Dragon grabbed both of her paws._

_"Please Synthia, I don't know what I'd do without you, my sweet and tender Sapphire, I...I love you." He confessed outright, and Synthia's heart skipped a beat._

_"Malefor...I." The first part of her statement made Malefor lose hope, but then she continued. "...I love you too." She finished and Malefor's world shot sky high._

_"Do you really mean-" Before he could finish, he was silenced by her lips as they kissed under the moonlight, it may have lasted a second, a few mintues, maybe an eternity, but Malefor didn't care. When they pulled back, Synthia coiled her tail around his, they still grasped each other's paws._

_"Should we tell the others?" Synthia asked her new lover._

_"I don't care what the others think, right now, all I want is you...but we might want to keep it secret for now..." He responded as Synthia pulled him in for another kiss. Malefor wanted it to last forever, but unfortunately they were forced to pull back. _

_"As much as I love you, I also despise Mosquitoes, could we continue this elsewhere?" Synthia asked as she nuzzled Malefor's chin, causing him to quiver. _

_"We could go to my room." He suggested as they proceeded to go there, tails still coiled together, under the moonlight._

* * *

"Synthia? You might want to finish your food before it gets cold...or if your not hungry, I'll have it." Synthia's memory was interrupted by Malefor as she remembered her food.

"Oh right...sorry." She blushed in embarrassment as she started to eat.

"Don't be, you look cute when you're in deep thought." He replied, making Synthia's blush more prominent as they finished up lunch, and prepared for the rest of the day.

_A few hours later_

Malefor walked through the corridor towards his room when he saw Ignitus.

"Hey Ignitus, what's up?" He asked as the Fire Dragon walked alongside him.

"Not much, I've been looking for Froststorm, have you seen him?" Ignitus wondered, which only earned him a shrug from Malefor.

"Ah...well, I was hoping to talk to you...about someone." He said, causing Malefor to grow a little concerned. "It's a Dragoness." It wasn't helping that the Fire Dragon was talking really slow.

"Yes?" Malefor asked while Ingitus took a deep breath.

"I've been seeing someone...outside of the Temple." He revealed to Malefor, who internally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Who is she?" He wondered out loud to his friend.

"Her name is Incendia, she's a Fire Dragon like me...but there's a catch, she comes from a rival family." He pointed out, causing Malefor to grow surprised.

"A rival family? I didn't know there was such a thing, well, is she what you've always wanted in somone?" Malefor asked him as he nodded.

"Yes, she's kind, and compassionate, I was hoping to bring her here, if Hazan was okay with it." Ignitus stated to him, as he sighed and figured he'd come out with the truth.

"Well, I have been seeing someone as well..." Malefor started.

"Synthia?" Ignitus asked as the Purple Dragon retained a surprised reaction.

"How did you know?" Malefor seemed surprised.

"It wasn't hard to guess. I'm happy for you." Ignitus smiled at Malefor as the two dragons continued having some friendly banter, and then Malefor was left to himself, to which he decided to head to his room, and get some time to himself before Synthia inevitably came to meet him, before their lunch ended and they split up for the day, Malefor had offered to take her on some kind of special date, he had everything planned. Now he just had to have everything go according to plan...which is harder than it sounds.

* * *

**And there you go, a dive into the past of Malefor before he became evil, there are gonna be a fair bit of chapters which shed light on this history, all the way up to his dark turn, anyways, next chapter will return to the present if you're curious for that, peace out!**


	22. Chapter 22: Expansion

Chapter 22: Expansion

Cynder had been waiting for nearly 30 minutes before Spyro awoke.

"Ugh...my head..." He groaned and held his head, Cynder grew much more joyful.

"Spyro!" She stood up and bounded to his side, nuzzling him.

"Cynder? What's going on? Did we make it?" He asked as Cynder smiled with slight tears at seeing him alive.

"Yes, we did." She smiled and hugged him, allowing Spyro to hug back, when they pulled back they noticed a bright glow.

"Sparx! It's good to see you!" Spyro grew more cheerful as the Dragonfly crossed his arms.

"Yeah, well I'm glad you aren't dead, and as much fun as it is sitting here watching you two lovebirds, don't we have somewhere to be?" Sparx reminded Cynder, whom remembered as well.

"that's right, we gotta get to Warfang, we left Ignitus on our own terms, so we gotta get to the city and fast!" Cynder told the Purple Dragon, who was able to stand and followed them as they started to head towards the city.

* * *

"Gaul, he's coming around..." An Ape stood over Malefor as his vision came into focus.

"Master, are you alright?" Gaul asked him as he stood upright.

"I'm fine...what happened?" Malefor grumbled.

"We found you here, next to...her." The Dark Master glanced at the corpse of Rose.

"Clean up that piece of traitorous garbage and dump it where it belongs." He ordered and the Ape General did so, speaking in his own language at the other Apes to clean it up, once the body was out of sight, he turned back to face Malefor.

"What of the Purple Dragon?" Gaul wondered out loud as Malefor didn't move.

"Let him go to Warfang, it won't matter, have all the battalions ready to move out in 24 hours, now go, there is something I must do." The Dark Master commanded Gaul, who saluted and walked off to assemble the other troops.

"Now...where was I?" Malefor muttered as he went to his quarters. Entering the bleak and dull room, he sat at the basis of a Dark Crystal, but not before chaining himself.

"There..." Suddenly his eyes and mouth had a purple mist fly out of them and into the crystal, once it was complete, he reawoke with...Purple Eyes.

* * *

Gaul heard screaming coming from Malefor's chamber, he merely assumed that the Dark Master was finding some way to release his anger, all the while, he entered the barracks to assemble the troops.

"Attention troops! Tonight, we shall prepare for the fall of Dragon Kind, lead by the might Malefor, we shall destroy all who oppose us, and create a new world to rule amidst the ashes of Warfang, tomorrow...The Dragons shall fall!" Once he finished his speech, the Apes gathered for a singular "Hoo-rah!" and started celebrating, while Gaul himself was very satisfied.

Soon enough, Malefor entered the room. "Looks like you boosted morale." He said calmly as the General nodded proudly.

"What were you doing in there?" Gaul asked in regards to the screams.

"Just taking some...disciplinary measures." Malefor spoke rather calmly as he looked over the Apes. "Make sure they are well fed for tomorrow, and I want a strike force to infiltrate the city and break into the Temple so we can acquire the object of interest." He conferred with Gaul as they left the barracks.

"Make no mistake: soon we shall rule this pathetic world." Malefor grinned evilly as they walked off to continue planning.

* * *

"Spyro, make sure to hurry it up, we still need to get to Warfang." Cynder called out to Spyro, who was in a nearby stream washing the blood off of his face. He thought back to Rose: her regret...the pang of knowing she'd never see Shard again, he could feel the pain that she was in when Malefor killed her.

"Spyro? Are you okay?" Cynder had walked down and asked him, breaking out of his thoughts.

"I couldn't save her..." He grew more sorrowful while Cynder joined him in the stream.

"Spyro...Rose made her choice, and she paid the consequences for siding with the Dark Master, you did what you had to do." Her statement made Spyro feel worse.

"You think I did that? No...it was Malefor, Rose wanted to help me...she wanted to see Shard again, I couldn't save her from Malefor." He turned to face Cynder. "I could feel her pain, Cynder! She hated her life, and wanted to go back to the only Dragon she'd ever loved! I can't explain how I felt her...but the same happened when we reconciled after the fight in the arena. I could feel that you felt guilty, I can read emotions...but I don't know how." He started to cry a little.

"Now Shard will never know...he'll never know about Rose's regret." Spyro knew he shouldn't be so sad for a traitor, but when that traitor wanted to redeem themselves, he knew that he could've saved them.

"Some things are beyond your control...you shouldn't blame yourself." Cynder comforted Spyro while he wept, and they were in a tight embrace while the Dragoness allowed for the Drake's emotions to bawl out. "I'm here for you, Spy." She said.

"W-Why does everthing h-have to be so hard?" Spyro stuttered as the tears seemed to lessen.

"I don't know...but we work with what we got." She responded. "Spyro...you've carried everyone on your shoulders for so long, let someone carry you." Cynder wiped some tears off his face in a loving manner, and they looked at each other's eyes, and kissed on the lips for a brief moment. When they pulled back, Spyro gave a weak smile.

"I needed that..." He said in a weary tone as they both stepped out of the river, with Cynder leaning against him. Once they came up to Sparx, the Dragonfly didn't say anything since he was known for not being the most emotionally sound guy.

"Let's just get you to Warfang, and you can tell Ignitus about this...and he'll need some reassurance now since four of us have disappeared." Cynder pointed out, generating some confusion from Spyro.

"Wait...who else disappeared?" He asked Cynder.

"Nero...he died, while you were gone, Malefor used Incendia as a bomb to try and destroy us along with the Temple, but we all escaped...except Nero." She explained to the Purple Dragon.

"Just as long as we can get to the Dragon City and find Ignitus...I think I'll be fine..." Spyro sighed wearily as they started their voyage to the city.

* * *

_Many Years Ago..._

Malefor was at the site of their date: the Lakeside, as part of their one week anniversary, he had everything set up: a purple blanket with four candles at each corner to provide light and drive off Mosquitoes, quality foods and beverages that came from an off-brand market in their Temple that Hazan had commissioned to be built a while back in, Malefor also paid with the currency that Hazan gave them to work with, he had placed the bottom halves of the bottles in a small icicle he had made with his Ice abilities while the top halves stuck out, and ensured that it wouldn't melt, while the food was in a small basket he had woven together with his magic.

"Now...all we have to do is wait...Ah! There's one more thing." The Purple Drake turned to see a flowerbed of roses, he knew what he would do with them for Synthia. He was interrupted when he turned to see Ignitus.

"Ignitus...how did you know where I was?" Malefor asked him as he smirked.

"I had a hunch, we can leave it at that." Ignitus responded and sat down in the grass. "Are you preparing for tonight?" He inquired to Malefor, who nodded with a hint of nervousness.

"Yeah...yeah, I'm wondering if I should have a path of flowers that lead to this spot or not, does Synthia like fancy stuff?" Malefor wondered out loud, causing Ignitus to let out a small chuckle.

"Synthia was never one for exquisite things, I'm sure if you make her happy, that'll be the best you can do...but you could go out of your way to do something like make a flower path." He suggested to the Purple Dragon as his eyes and left paw showed a green aura, and he placed his paw on the grass. Within moments, flowers bloomed from the ground in a symmetrical and straight pathway.

"Not bad." Ignitus stated as Malefor himself sat down next to his friend.

"So, in other news, how's the situation with Incendia going? I know you only mentioned this earlier today, but still, I'm curious." Malefor asked Ignitus, whom sighed and watched as the sunset.

"Well, neither of our families know about "Us", so we both agreed to find some way to meet each other and possibly live together, I'm thinking of having her visit the Temple next week." Ignitus explained while Malefor broke some nearby Mana gems to replenish his Mana that was used on the flower path and small icicle, he spoke while the gems swirled around him and entered his body.

"As long as you're happy, that's what matters." Malefor replied while they sat there in silence, until Ignitus broke the silence.

"When do you think you'll tell Hazan about you and Synthia?" He has given his own love-related question to Malefor.

"I'm not sure...maybe in a few days, I want to tell him when he's in a good mood." Malefor answered simply while they stared at the lake.

"Well, I better go, I don't want to interfere with your plans with Synthia...good luck, Malefor." Ignitus smiled in a friendly manner as he patted the Purple Dragon's shoulder and left him to his romantic buisness.

"Now, where was I...? Ah yes! Now I remember!" Malefor went back to work, awaiting the coming night eagerly.

* * *

"Synthia? Are you there?" Malefor knocked on the door to the Dragoness's quarters, he had polished his scales and found something Zepho had referred to as a "Bowtie". One might consider it silly that Malefor wanted to celebrate only a week of being in love with Synthia, but Malefor cherished her beyond belief. He wasn't fond of love, it never really struck him that much, many of his fellow Students had Dragonesses all over them, they weren't the only ones in the Temple after all, but Malefor had been lacking in any form of it...until Synthia.

"Coming!" He heard her voice from behind the door and in a few mintues, she had opened it to reveal herself, and she was beautiful. She too had polished her scales, but to a greater extent, her horns glowed in a bright and gorgeous spectacle, which brought out her Purple Eyes even more.

_"Wow." _They both thought, Malefor was the first to break the silence.

"Synthia you look...you look incredible!" He complimented her as she smiled.

"Thank you, you don't look so bad yourself, I'm looking forward to seeing where this night takes us." Synthia replied as their tails coiled and Malefor lead the way.

"I promise you'll like this, I admit it's strange that we're only celebrating a week together, but I feel like it needs to be done. You're the love of my life, plus...considering how many Dragonesses Scorpio has been with, I think it might be needed." Malefor's last jokey part of the statement made Synthia giggle.

"What matters is that we're together, now, let's see this location of yours." She remarked as they went to Malefor's selected spot: the Lakeside, he lead Synthia down the flower path, which she was impressed with, and when they reached the area he'd set up, Synthia gasped in surprise.

"I never knew you were so romantic..." She trailed off and joined Malefor while he melted the icicle and grabbed the two bottles of Champagne.

"I guess it's natural, when it comes to the heart, I seem to find a way." He pointed out as he poured the liquid into a glass and handed it to Synthia, and poured one for himself, they then proceeded to watch the stars together.

"This reminds me of that night." Synthia said to the Purple Drake.

"I know, even though it's only been a week, it feels like we've been together much longer, and this time, I have some Mosquito repellent." Malefor referred to the candles he'd set up, once they were comfortable, he'd grabbed some of the food he bought and gave some of it to Synthia, who complimented the taste. Malefor then plucked one of the roses he'd found in the flower bed and placed it in between Synthia's upper-left and center horn.

* * *

**quick character description, Synthia's horns are similar to Cynders', but instead of having three horns on each side of her face, Synthia only has two on each side, just wanted to point that out, and if you somehow didn't see the descriptions of characters, then Synthia is a very dark purple in color with Purple Eyes and a black underbelly.**

* * *

"I thought you'd like it..." Malefor trailed off as Synthia blushed, and the two Dragons snuggled closer to each other, watching as shooting stars fell through the sky, Malefor reached for a smaller spare blanket he had packed and wrapped it around Synthia, as she was shivering. She leaned into Malefor as well, since his fire element provided a natural heat source for her, their tails coiled as they watched the stars.

"I could stay here forever." Synthia nuzzled the Purple Dragon while they remained there for quite some time. Eventually, Malefor was showing her the constellations in the sky, with which he was fascinated.

"That one right there to the east is Moonwalker, if you look closely, you'll see that those stars form a Dragon." He pointed out the shape to Synthia.

"Yeah, I can kinda see it now..." She agreed when another shooting star flew by.

"Did you make another wish for that one?" Malefor asked the Dragoness, who nodded eagerly. Just as she had done it, she yawned. "Sounds like someone's tired..." He smiled at Synthia, whom Malefor could tell just wanted to stay with him through her defiant expression.

"Malefor...could we rest here tonight? Hazan isn't holding any lessons tomorrow, and the sky is beautiful tonight." Synthia requested while the Drake wrapped his wing around her back.

"For you, my love? Anything." He smiled as he made sure Synthia was comfortable before he himself laid beside her, allowing for her to snuggle up against him, with Synthia laying against Malefor's chest, and her head up against his neck. Malefor wrapped both his wings around her this time, making sure she was warm.

"Goodnight, my love." Malefor kissed her briefly on the lips and after some more stargazing, fell asleep alongside his lover.

* * *

Malefor sat in his throne rubbing his eyes, he wearily went through his memories of old: Synthia, Hazan, Zepho...Ignitus. "What am I doing?" He asked himself, he had the perfect life...and it was robbed from him. Suddenly Gaul entered the throne room.

"Master, the armies are ready." He saluted slightly as Malefor's body slightly shifted, and his position changed drastically, becoming more serious.

"Excellent, we march at dawn!" The Dark Master spoke rather viciously and left the room to confer with the General.

* * *

**Well there we go, some more backstory, how epic, first thing off, I gotta just point out how the romance between Malefor and Synthia is one of my favorite things to write for this story so far, like seriously man, it's some of the most fun I've had so far, probably because I get to write Malefor as a very different character since this is the past. Also, sorry for the lackage of present events, but I'm really up for writing Malefor's history at the moment, it's pretty good stuff. Now, before you ask: yes, the battle of Warfang is going to definitely resemble the attack seeing in Dawn of the Dragon, and will be the Endgame in terms of Malefor's career, but what happens might surprise you, anyways, I'm gonna write some more chapters involving the trip to Warfang, and Chapter 25**** is probably going to be when Spyro and Cynder arrive at the city and meet with Ignitus, to give a proper time frame, now, peace out!**


	23. Chapter 23: Preparations

Chapter 23: Preparations

Malefor stood in the hangar, in the middle of two large rows of Apes that had mounted Dreadwings, he stood alongside Gaul. "Today is the end of the Dragon Resistance! The fierce warriors I see before me, will bring an end to the Senate! To the lies of peace they've spread throughout the world! But we will remember this as the last day of the Dragon Race!" Gaul finished his speech and all the Apes started cheering.

"Now go, my loyal followers and serve your master!" Malefor commanded and the Dreadwings took to the skies, hoards of them flying through the clouds. On the ground, legions of Apes marched out in the direction of Warfang, all cheering valiantly. Aerial Drop Troopers were in cages being carried by some more Dreadwings.

"You certainly know how to make an impression." Malefor said to Gaul as they stood there.

"The troops needed proper motivation to bring down Warfang, it will be a turning point in this conflict." He replied as the Dark Master didn't move.

"Show me the Apes you selected for the infiltration of the city..." The Purple Dragon ordered and they walked back into the Fortress.

"I selected only the best for this assignment, my liege, I trust you will be pleased." Gaul reassured Malefor as they entered the war room to see four Apes, clad in elite armor.

"So: You're the elite infiltration unit that's going to retrieve the Crystal?" He raised an eyebrow as one of them nodded.

"It is an honor to serve under you, Mighty Malefor." One of the Apes bowed, causing Malefor to stifle a laugh.

"I like this one. Rise." He lead the Ape to the table where he and Gaul would discuss the plan. "As you know, our object of interest lies within the vault of the Dragon Temple in Warfang. As of now, the fools are unaware of our planned attack on the city, so I'm sending you four inside to recover the object and bring to me. I shall be making a Fortress for myself outside of the city, you will bring it to me when your objective is complete and leave before the attack begins. Now that I've explained the what, Gaul will explain the how." Malefor let the General take the stage.

"Okay, each city wall is heavily guarded, with guards patrolling each wall, in terms of entry, you will each be dropping into the city using specialized Aerial Drop Trooper equipment in different sectors." Gaul marked the four spots on the map of Warfang. "You will all converge to the Dragon Temple and make your way inside. Once inside, you will head for the vault and acquire the Crystal. We'll get you out with a dropship, but we need you to clear a landing zone for the craft so we can make sure to pick you up with ease. Any questions?" Gaul asked the Apes as they all stood there in silence.

"Good, then prepare yourselves for departure. An elite Dreadwing should be waiting for you in the Hangar." He sent them off while he and Malefor walked to the top of the tower, where Gaul's personal Dreadwing waited for him.

"I'll meet you outside the city, Gaul, make sure the Crystal is brought directly to me." The Dark Master instructed the General, who nodded and took off on his Dreadwing, leaving Malefor by himself as he reentered the now deserted Fortress, devoid of all life except for him. _"The fools know not what await them, soon, this world will fall under my singular vision...and will be remade." _He smirked while walking down into a small chamber, it was the power core to the entire Fortress.

"This place has served me well, but it will ultimately never matter. But without the Crystal in my quarters, nothing will be able to interfere with my plans." The Dark Master pulled down a lever which had the purple energy core drain itself into his body, once that was done, he pressed the bright red button, and quickly left the tower, flying out of the hangar and watching as the tower collapsed to the ground in pieces of rubble. Once it was over, Malefor flew in the direction of his armies, intent on completing his Endgame.

* * *

"Sparx, stop staring at the butterflies!" Spyro scolded the Dragonfly, who was admiring his future dish.

"Come on, Spyro, you gotta try one of these, they're delicious." He grabbed one.

"I think something went wrong when he was a kid." Cynder commented while Spyro shook his head.

"A lot of things went wrong when he was a kid." He replied, causing the two to snicker while Sparx crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked the Dragons as they simply coiled tails when Cynder turn face Spyro.

"Hey, how're you holding up?" She asked him as he looked at the sky.

"I'll be fine..." He trailed off, trying to avoid eye contact with Cynder, but she gently turned his head to face her with her paw.

"You're still thinking about Rose?" She said rather bluntly, causing the Purple Drake to nod. "Spyro, you need to stop blaming yourself for every little thing that happens to others, first Incendia and now Rose. You need to accept some things aren't preventable." Cynder comforted Spyro and she nuzzled him.

"I know...it just feels like every good thing I try to do, I only end up hurting people. I caused Incendia's first death, and I caused Rose to die as well." He responded.

"But did you kill them?" Cynder asked as he shook his head. "Then it's not your fault, both Dragons would've wanted you to carry on for them, we'll make Malefor pay for all the destruction he's caused, then we can finally be together, and you won't have to fight another war, I promise you this...and if I'm wrong? Then we'll just fight harder to secure a more permanent peace." Cynder eased Spyro's guilt as they took a moment to sit together while Sparx frolicked among the butterflies.

"Thanks...I'm definitely feeling much better now." Spyro weakly smiled as they resumed walking, just then they heard thumping coming from nearby, Spyro had turned around in time to see Apes. "Quick, hide!" He shoved Cynder and himself into a nearby shrub while Sparx was seemingly ignored, considering he was a Dragonfly.

"Spyro, what's going on?" Cynder whispered to Spyro, who peered out of the bushes.

"Apes...looks like their entire army." He described the situation to Cynder, who also was able to find a way to see through the bush, but Spyro held her in a protective manner as the Apes marched by.

"They must be going to Warfang...we've got to reach it before they do." She stated to Spyro while they watched.

"Yeah, we'll have to take a different path." He replied when they noticed a glow in the bush with them.

"Or we could, ya know, fly?" He suggested, causing Spyro to facepalm, and for Cynder to giggle.

"All right, but we have to wait for these Apes to leave." Spyro remarked as they proceeded to wait for at least 30 minutes, once the last of the Apes had passed, the three of them left the bush and took to the skies. _"Hopefully we can get to Warfang soon, it should be closer than it seems." _Spyro thought to himself as they flew towards the city, making sure to stay out of sight of the Apes._  
_

* * *

_Time Skip: A few days later_

"Alright, gentlemen, you know your task today: this will tip the scale to Malefor's favor." The elite Apes gathered 'round for their mission briefing, the Commander spoke. "As stated by Gaul, we will each be dropping in a low populous area so we can reach the Dragon Temple with ease." As the Commander spoke, one of the Apes, Theta, spoke up.

"What do we do if any of us are caught?" He asked, to which the Commander, Nemoy, responded.

"Unfortunately, you will be compromised, and we may have to wait for the actual city siege to commence before we can get you out. Leo, Falcon, are you ready?" Nemoy asked the others and they nodded. "Very good, Pilot! How far to the drop zone!?" He yelled to the pilot of the Dreadwing.

"We'll reach the zone in 22 klicks." He replied and Nemoy looked back.

"Get your Paratrooper gear ready." Nemoy instructed the other elites to ready themselves for the drop. As stated, they had reached their destination in 22 klicks. "Leo, you'll be the first to drop, ready?" Nemoy asked him as he nodded and they looked down at the city, partially covered in clouds.

"And...drop!" Leo leapt from the Dreadwing and glided down the surface, allowing for the group to move to Falcon's drop point, without a word, Falcon jumped and dived to his location.

"Here's your drop point, Theta, see you on the other side." Nemoy said to him, who nodded and jumped out, taking more enthusiasm in the prospect and landed on the ground in an alleyway. Now that he was down and undetected by any Dragons, he started to advance on the Dragon Temple, Nemoy had most definitely already landed as well, so there was no need for concern.

"I'll have to try and avoid any unwanted attention." Theta muttered as he noticed a rag and straw hat, he figured no one would question him since Warfang had a regular amount of outside visitors. He entered a more crowded area, weaving in between Dragons and Moles and other various creatures, thanks to his stealth training, he was able to hide in plain sight, all without seeming suspicious. Finally he had reached a large courtyard, where he saw the Dragon Temple. With it, he saw various markets and shops of different varieties.

"Bingo..." Theta whispered upon setting his eyes on the Dragon Temple, where he saw three other figures moving behind it. Quickly and decisively, he moved around back to see the other elite Apes waiting.

"Okay, let's get inside..." Nemoy started scaling the wall, and crawled in through a rotating window, next came Leo, than Falcon, and finally Theta. Once they had entered, they immediately set to work on finding the vault, but were almost caught when Ignitus entered the room they'd snuck into, which was the library.

"Can't you find them anywhere? Ignitus?"

"I can't Shard, I can't detect their elemental signatures anywhere, and they're too far out anyways." The Fire Guardian replied when Terrador entered with Cyril and Volteer.

"Gaia and the others are getting restless, Cynder still hasn't returned." Terrador's deep voice echoed through the library.

"Yes yes, Glacia too is starting to worry." Cyril added.

"Voltea herself is becoming more and more eccentric as well, Ignitus, she's making me nervous, unsure, panicky, and let us not forget worried." Volteer also pointed out while Ignitus sighed.

"Yes, I'm aware, I can only assume none of the Cadets are faring any better." He figured, as this happened, they failed to notice Nemoy's Apes as they sneakily left the library. "We need a proper counterattack if we're going to push back Malefor." Ignitus had them gather around the table.

"That was close..." Leo sighed in relief as Nemoy had them move further into the Temple. Eventually they had managed to find the Vault.

"Quick, get it open." Nemoy had Falcon come up to the door and pick the lock while the others stood by and kept guard.

"And...got it!" Falcon said calmly and watched the vault door open to reveal all kinds of treasures and riches, as well as other artifacts that the Ancestors preserved, but their main focus was the Pink crystal encased in a gunmetal frame and glass in the center of the Vault.

"The Time Crystal..." Theta trailed off while Nemoy grabbed it and put it into his bag, as they turned around, they were nearly caught when two guards came by.

"What the-!? The Temple's been breached! Get Ignitus!" One of the guards alerted the other, but they were swiftly knocked out by Leo and Falcon, allowing the two to leave through the front door.

"Looks like we're just in time to witness the main event." Nemoy looked to see a giant boulder fling itself into the city, causing mass panic.

"Stop those Apes!" They turned to see multiple guards rushing out to stop them, but then their ticket out of the city appeared: the Dropship.

"Quick, get on!" Nemoy ordered them and they all managed to climb aboard, and they used the Dropship's weaponry to prevent the guards from pursuing them by flight.

"Package secured, returning to base." Nemoy looked to see that a massive Volcano had formed behind the legions of Apes, Malefor seemed to have used his Dark Magic to form Siege towers for them to use. Above the Volcano was a flying Temple, which Nemoy could only assume that the Dark Master had made to oversee the battle as it commenced. Once they landed, the four Apes entered the Temple to see Malefor sitting in his throne with Gaul by his side.

"Ah, my loyal soldiers, you've returned with my prize." Malefor levitated himself off his throne and walked up to them.

"Of course, my master." Nemoy took out the Time Crystal and handed it to the Dark Master.

"Now the power of the universe lies in my hands." He grinned, causing Gaul some confusion.

"Then what was the point of all our armies coming here?" The General questioned, causing Malefor to turn and face him.

"You've no idea what my motives are? I thought you were smarter than that...with this Crystal, I shall use it's energy to destroy all of time itself...and remake a new timeline, with me as the supreme ruler of the Universe. Of course, none of you will survive, except for me, or anyone I choose to survive with me. But your contributions will be remembered in my new paradise..." Malefor explained, causing Gaul to become horrified.

"You're insane! You'll kill us all with that thing! You used us!" He roared in anger at being deceived while the Dark Master cackled.

"Of course I used you! You fool! You, Rose, all of you were my pawns. Though, I might consider having these four survive as my elite guard in the new world." He considered while Gaul brandished his blades.

"No one makes a fool of the mighty Gaul and gets away with it..." He growled, bringing more laughter from Malefor.

"In this case...you're wrong, and you shall be sorely missed." He smirked and fired pure Aether on the General, hearing his screams of pain, soon enough, he had been reduced to a pile of ash. "Will anyone attempt to fill his shoes?" He asked the four elite Apes, they all backed up in fear, but Nemoy stepped forward and bowed.

"We will serve you in this life, and in the next, my liege." He pledged his allegiance to the Dark Master, who grinned and watched the others bow.

"Good, unfortunately, I cannot use the Crystal's power directly, it must be charged up and connected to a device of extreme power, that's where the battle comes in, we must stall the Dragons while the Crystal is implanted, if the other Purple Dragon or Cynder appear...I will deal with them myself." He explained as he handed the Time Crystal to Nemoy, and lead him to the device that would activate the Crystal.

"Now get to work on making it functional, I will oversee the battle for entertainment." He ordered the Apes and walked off to sit on his throne, where he used his Dark Magic to show a projection of the already gruesome battle of Warfang, nothing could stop his dominance from coming to fruition...all but one: The Dragon of Destiny.

* * *

**Well, that's a wrap, and oh boy, a lot of stuff happened in this chapter man, so, to clear things up: Yes, the Time Crystal Malefor has is the same one Moonwalker used in the beginning of the Ultimate Crossover to destroy the FNaF Universe. So here's a little backstory: after Moonwalker originally used the Gems to wipe out half of all life in every universe and merge them together, he went to Arkus, where he proceeded to send the Time Crystal into a portal with an unknown destination. That location: The ancient past of the universe Dawn of Amnesty is set in, where it crashes on Eclasia, and the Ancestors discover it, only for it to be locked away for safe keeping...until now, dun Dun DUNNNNN! Anyways, that's all folks, Peace. **


	24. Chapter 24: Out with the truth

Chapter 24: Out with the Truth

_Many Years Ago..._

Malefor awoke to a bright sunrise as the events of last night replayed in his head, he then remembered he was still snuggling with Synthia on the lakeside, he was thankful that she was in front of him, so he shielded her from the sun with his wings in hopes she could rest longer.

_"She deserves it."_ He smiled and laid his head on Synthia's, allowing her to rest longer while he stared at the nature they were surrounded by. The birds chirped while the natural gems gleamed in the ground, he smiled at the peace, and then looked down at Synthia's resting form, their tails still coiled. The Shadow Dragoness mumbled in her sleep and seemed to form a smile on her face, she was certainly dreaming of something pleasant. Synthia snuggled up closer to him, turning to face him and wrapping her arms around Malefor's sides. He blushed when the Dragoness nuzzled him in her sleep, seeming to know her position and enjoying it.

_"She's absolutely perfect." _Malefor watched the birds, two of which seemed to share a similar situation with the Dragons in that they were cuddling with each other. Unfortunately, his time with Synthia was interrupted when none other than Hazan walked up to him.

"So...how was your night?" He asked rather calmly while Malefor blushed in embarrassment.

"It was...fine." He did his best to speak while not disturbing the Dragoness who rested in his arms. "Look, Hazan, I'm sorry. I was going to tell you, but I was scared because of what the scrolls sa-" Malefor was cut off by Hazan chuckling.

"I'm not mad, Malefor, I'm proud of you. You found love, something that rarely any Purple Dragon could ever do because of their untimely deaths before being able to find someone in the course of establishing peace. But you found love far before you'll be called to defend the world, as for the scrolls: relationships between Primary Dragons and Secondary Dragons are rare, not forebidden." Hazan explained to the Purple Drake, who became less tense.

"So...you're not mad?" Malefor asked the elder Dragon, who shook his head.

"Of course not, and I must say from what I've seen of Synthia: you chose well." He replied as Malefor looked at Synthia, who was still peacefully resting in his arms.

"Well, we were very close, we had to be if we were going to win the duo sparring matches. She recognized my desire to not hurt anyone, and appreciated it. Not to mention she was my first friend." The Purple Dragon told Hazan, who smiled compassionately.

"Synthia is many things, but she definitely wasn't a fan of everyone at this Temple hitting on her, most of the times, she'd hit back...in a much more physical way." The Elder Dragon joked. "Just take care of her, Malefor, I can tell that she's finally truly happy." He told Malefor, who nodded, after a brief silence, the Purple Dragon looked at Hazan.

"So, is there any other reason you came here? Or did you just want to check up on us?" Malefor asked, causing Hazan to shake his head.

"No, there is another reason: Ignitus and Breeze have both told me that Froststorm is acting strange, he says he's seeing things in his dreams. Specifically one symbol, I was wondering if you could check up on him when you have the time, I still need to prepare our next session of lessons, so you have plenty of time." The Elder Dragon informed him, then he prepared to leave, but turned one last time to say. "Take care of Synthia." Before leaving them to themselves, unfortunately, not long after this, Synthia stirred from her slumber and wearily opened her eyes.

"Good morning, my Sapphire, how did you sleep?" Malefor asked upon seeing her eyes.

"It was the best sleep I've had in ages." Synthia replied as they laid there, with Synthia leaning against Malefor's chest, while the Purple Drake looked down at her in a loving manner.

"Hazan was just here." His next statement made Synthia nervous.

"What did he say about...us?" She asked.

"He wasn't mad, he was quite the opposite in fact...he was proud of us." Malefor's response surprised the Dragoness, who still had the rose in between her horns.

"Well, that makes things easier for us, I suppose." Synthia figured and the Dragons remained for a few more minutes before standing upwards. "I guess I'll see you at breakfast." She smiled at Malefor, who coiled his tail around hers.

"Are you sure you don't want to go together?" He inquired, to which she nodded.

"Yeah, I need to deal with some personal things first...but, I will keep this rose on for the day." Her response made the Purple Dragon smile.

"In that case, it'll make it easier for me to go and see Froststorm, apparently he's been acting weird lately." He informed the Shadow Dragoness as they parted ways until Breakfast, Malefor made his way to Froststorm's quarters, seeing that the door was shut, he knocked. "Hello?" He said, and heard shuffling coming from inside, along with sounds of presumably broken glass or pottery. When the door was opened, he saw that Froststorm looked like a zombie. He had heavy dark circles under his eyes, and his eyes looked bloodshot.

"Hey Malefor, come in, come in." He yanked the Purple Drake inside and slammed the door shut.

"So...what're you up to...?" Malefor asked while looking at his walls, they were covered in random pictures that were all connected by pins and string, tape was also keeping them from falling. Just above his bed was a strange symbol: a circle with a vertical line jutting through the middle, it seemed as though Froststorm had carved it into the wall.

"Oh, you know, just been busy questioning the fabric of reality. No one else would believe me...but I know I'm onto something, so it's a good thing you showed up, Malefor." He paused and took a big gulp of Coffee from a pitcher, then he set it down and started explaining. "This symbol has been showing up in my dreams a lot, and now, I think I've finally figured out what it means: this one symbol has been showing up in various locations on the planet, no one knows what it means. But I know I'm onto something." Froststorm repeated himself and climbed onto his dresser.

"This! This right here! You know the Time Crystal that's been stored in Warfang for a millennia?" He asked Malefor, who nodded in concern for the Ice Dragon. "This Crystal has the exact same symbol...they're connected! So I did some digging and have come to the conclusion that this is a cosmic being of great power...Malefor." Froststorm took another huge drink of Coffee.

"We're not the only universe out there." He made a bold decleration, surprising Malefor.

"Froststorm, that's a pretty big theory." The Purple Dragon replied, causing Froststorm to laugh crazily.

"It's not a Theory! It's the truth! I can't explain it, but I know this through the dreams I've been having. This voice speaks to me, he calls himself: Guardian #42. I can't get it out of my head!" He began scribbling incoherent letters on a piece of paper for no reason.

"Froststorm...you really need to get some sleep." Malefor told him, but the Ice Dragon laughed again.

"Oh, I try, but then the visions come back...and I can't sleep." Froststorm explained, causing the Purple Dragon to be more distressed than before.

"Froststorm, I'm serious, you need rest, I mean: Other universes, Guardians, Time Crystals. Are you sure you're thinking rationally?" Malefor wondered, which made Froststorm a little irritated.

"I am thinking more clearly than you realize, Malefor. *Heh heh* I know what I'm seeing...if you're not here to help me, then you can leave." Froststorm sent Malefor out of his quarters, slamming the door shut. Well, that had gotten him nowhere, Ignitus was right: Froststorm seemed to be going crazy. Now that his objective was finished, his next one was to go and meet Synthia for Breakfast and explain the situation involving Froststorm.

* * *

Upon arriving at the Cafe, Malefor caught sight of Synthia sitting with Terrador and Ignitus, when she saw him, she waved at him, and he walked over and sat with them.

"Sorry I took so long, Hazan had me speak with Froststorm..." As soon as he said the Ice Dragon's name, Terrador and Ignitus seemed concerned.

"Why? What's wrong with him?" Synthia wasn't aware of the situation unlike the boys.

"He's officially lost his mind, he's talking about things like alternate universes, a mythical being named Guardian #42, and this one symbol of the Guardian popping up everywhere...in short, he's crazy." Malefor gave a short version of the story to his lover, who now was also concerned about Froststorm.

"Oh my...have you told Hazan any of this?" She asked him, and he shook his head.

"I just came from Froststorm's quarters, Ignitus only told Hazan that he was acting "Weird". Seeming to miss out the stuff with deities and a Multiverse." Malefor responded, causing Synthia to glare at Ignitus.

"What!? I just told Hazan what I observed, I wasn't aware that Froststorm was this obsessed." Ignitus tried to defend himself, but Synthia seemed irritated all the while.

"Nevertheless, this doesn't seem like a pure coincidence. Froststorm is a quiet and skilled warrior, the fact that he's getting visions about something and going crazy about them seems to hint at something greater." Terrador pointed out as Synthia agreed.

"Yeah...Malefor, you have to tell Hazan about this." She told him, who nodded and grabbed the menu.

"So, have you guys ordered yet?" Malefor opted to change the subject, Ignitus shook his head as an answer for all of them.

"No, we were waiting on you." He informed the Purple Drake, who wanted the French Toast with Milk.

"Well. I know what I want." Malefor licked his lips and set the menu down while Synthia and the others grabbed their menus to get their orders ready, when the waiter came, each ordered the following:

Synthia wanted Chocolate Chip Pancakes with sugar power and Maple Syrup with orange juice, obviously the most nutritious meal ever.

Ignitus wanted an Sausage and cheese omelette with Hot Chocolate.

Malefor wanted as stated before: French Toast and Milk.

Terrador wanted plain and simple Scrambled Eggs with Water.

"Terrador, you love getting bland stuff." Synthia joked while the Earth Dragon raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I for one enjoy staying in shape and eating healthy, something the three of you should consider." He retorted, causing slight laughter among them.

"Is that so, old friend?" Ignitus inquired doing a mocking form of slightly dramatic speech, ironically the type of speech he would use in his later years.

"Well, you two can bicker, but me and Malefor are just going to watch." Synthia smirked and leaned against Malefor, who accepted and draped his wing over her.

"Ah yes, Ignitus told me about both of you: congratulations." Terrador gave them a nod and smile of approval, the latter of which he rarely did, so it meant that their relationship was definitely okay with him.

"Here you are." The waiter placed their food down on the table, and Malefor thanked him, passing the waiter a tip for his service.

"And here you are." He replied and put the tip into the Waiter's paw, who showed his gratitude and walked away.

"Malefor...you didn't need to do that." Ignitus told him, but the Purple Dragon shrugged.

"But I wanted to, he deserves it, waiters and waitresses are underappreciated in this world." Malefor responded, causing Synthia to smile lovingly.

"Another reason I love you: Your selflessness and wanting to help others." She kissed his cheek and they began to eat their Breakfast. With Malefor eating mercilessly. "Someone was hungry." Synthia joked while the Purple Drake continued eating roughly. Eventually they had finished their meals, and parted, with Synthia walking with Malefor.

"So, did my Sapphire enjoy her meal?" He asked her, in response, she nodded and nuzzled him. "If you're okay with it, I'd like to go to the gardens." Malefor requested, and Synthia willingly complied, allowing the two of them to go to the garden.

"I always love it here, so serene..." Malefor sighed, at peace and walked among the flowers.

"You're one of the most perplexing Dragons I've ever had the pleasure of meeting, on one side, you're the Purple Dragon whose destined to bring a new age of peace through conflict. But on the other hand: You're a pacifist." Synthia commented while Malefor picked a baby Sunflower from it's spot and looked at Synthia.

"War is an unnecessary violence, it disgusts me...all I want is a life for us, beyond Hazan, beyond these Ape revolts, beyond all this blood and death. I want us to live together in peace, can you do this with me?" Malefor asked and handed the Sunflower to Synthia, she smiled.

"Of course..." She and Malefor kissed and remained for some time before pulling back and continuing their stroll through the garden. Coming across other Dragons and caretakers of the garden.

"I just remembered that you still have the rose." Malefor referenced the rose in between Synthia's horns, and she blushed.

"Well, what can I say? You picked well." She replied as their tails coiled and eventually, they left the gardens.

"I needed that, especially after all that drama with Froststorm. Thank you, Synthia." Malefor and the Dragoness embraced for a moment before parting.

"I'll see you at lunch, then?" He asked her, who nodded in response, Malefor figured he'd go back to the Lakeside and clean up the sight of their anniversary. Upon arriving, he used his magic to lift the Champagne bottles as well as the candles and make carrying things easier, he folded up the blanket and hung the basket he made on his arm.

_"All right, let's go." _He said in thought and moved in the direction of his quarters, staying hyper-focused on the task at hand and finally reaching his quarters. Once he opened the door and put everything away, he collapsed on the bed: waiting for when he could see his love again.

* * *

**Hello there (General Kenobi), apologies for the shorter chapter, but I figured some wholesome content could be used before Malefor's evil Endgame is put into place. Seriously, man, I am having a ball writing about Malefor's past, it's exciting since I can explain how certain things happened and see how other references made in the present are showcased, like when Malefor mentioned Hazan all the way back in like, Chapter 8...man that was a long time ago, anyways, peace out.**


	25. Chapter 25: The Beginning of the End

Chapter 25: The Beginning of the End

"We're getting close to Warfang!" Spyro exclaimed as the Dragon City became more clear to see.

"Yeah, but _they _got there first." Cynder pointed at the legions of Apes bombarding the city, they seemed to be attack the east wall, so the two Dragons could go to the main gate and hopefully not draw any attention to them.

"Hello!?" Spyro called out, only to almost get hit with a spear.

"Look out!" Cynder pulled him to her out of the spear's trajectory.

"Hey, what's the big idea, Punk!?" Sparx raised his fist in the air as two Ice Dragons appeared over the gate.

"Look! It's the Dragon of Destiny!" One of them called and they disappeared, allowing the gate to open and let the three of them in "We're sorry, but the city is on high alert, the Dark Master has been attacking us at every point. You, go and inform Ignitus that the Purple Dragon has arrived!" One of the guards ordered the other and sent him off.

"Come on, we should inform you of our situation, while we're together." The Guard beckoned Spyro and Cynder to follow him.

"We've been under siege for a few hours now, some of the Apes broke in and stole something from our vault. Ignitus believes it's the Time Crystal. But right now, Malefor is holed up in his fortress over a volcano he formed using magic, and we believe that's where the Crystal is now." The Guard directed the Dragons attention to the floating fortress which was indeed, over a volcano.

"The Dark Master...this is the battle of the universe the prophecy foretells." Spyro said as Cynder seemed concerned for him, just then they noticed Shard flying overhead.

"Spyro! Cynder! Hey!" He waved and landed, fist-bumping him. "It's a good thing you guys got here when you did, the Apes are preparing to-" He was off when a loud rang throughout the city.

"Siege Towers have breached the wall!" a Trooper announced, causing Shard to sigh.

"They were preparing to do that..." he finished, and saw Flame alongside Alastor running in the direction of the commotion.

"Come on, Shard! Wait...Spyro!?" Flare exclaimed in surprise and relief while Terrain was running past with Scatha.

"Yeah they're back, come on, Spyro, you and Cynder can help stop one of the Siege towers. Come on!" Shard gestured for them to follow and Sparx came along, letting them take to the skies.

"Over there!" Cynder pointed to one of the towers that was deploying Apes, one of them noticed the four Dragons, and fired an arrow at them, Spyro was able to dodge it and charged into the Ape, knocking him down.

"Defend the city!" He exclaimed and grabbed a nearby Ape, slamming him into the ground and using his fire to keep the others away from him, allowing Cynder to charge in and blast some away with her wind.

"You got it, Spy!" She replied and clawed one of the Apes' arms, as Shard landed with the others and held the line, using his ice to freeze up certain limbs the apes tried to use to strike other unprepared Moles and Dragons. Flare was scorching other Apes, meanwhile, Flame was trying to take care of the Siege tower.

"This thing is massive! How're we going to destroy it!?" He demanded an answer while Terrain and Scatha took flight to attack it head-on. Meanwhile, Sparx was trying to punch an Ape, but to no avail.

"Come at me, you big bozo! I'll beat ya, I'll do it!" Sparx challenged the Ape, who growled and raised his axe.

"I've had enough of you!" He was prepared to strike, but Spyro rammed into the Ape and knocked him over.

"Don't go picking fights with someone bigger than you, Sparx, or you'll be more than someone's lantern..." Spyro told him sternly and charged at the Ape, knocking him out cold with the enhanced strength of his Earth Element. But he found that his strength had diminished greatly, and noticed that his Mana energy was being drawn to a Black Crystal in the center of the lower wall on the Siege Tower.

_"That's it!" _He realized that the Dark Crystal must've been siphoning their Mana energy to it to ensure that the Siege Tower was kept at maximum efficiency.

"Shard! Aim for the center Crystal!" He called out to Shard, who acknowledged and redirected his forces to attack the Crystal, which surprised Spyro, and he flew up to him.

"I didn't know you had command over other Soldiers." He pointed out while zapping a nearby Dreadwing with his Lightning.

"Yeah, well they were short on Commanding officers...plus I was also the most qualified for it, at least that's what Cyril insisted upon." Shard responded and froze up another Dreadwing. Soon enough, the troops had destroyed the Crystal, causing the Siege Tower to fall back on the ground, crushing some more Apes, and Spyro felt his Mana return to him.

"We've got more Siege Towers incoming, Commander!" One of the troops called out to Shard, who groaned.

"Ugh! At this rate, we won't be able to keep this side of the city secured, and we can't let any Apes breach Warfang. Spyro, I need you to man that cannon over there and blast those Siege Towers into the dust." He told Spyro, who nodded and flew down to a gold cannon embedded in the ground on the tower platform. He loaded up some ammunition into the cannon, and got into the cannon's seat. Grabbing the control sticks.

"Okay, this shouldn't be too hard..." He took a deep breath, and grabbed the control sticks, only to realize that more panels and controls revealed themselves. "Nevermind." He sighed and begun flipping various switches and buttons.

"Spyro, we need that Firepower now!" Shard exclaimed, causing Spyro to be slightly annoyed.

"Well, this thing doesn't exactly have an instruction manual!" He retorted and grabbed the left control stick, pressing the button on the top, and a large cannonball fired from it, and hit one of the Siege Towers clean through the middle. He watched in satisfaction as it crumbled to the ground and began setting up another firing round. He saw Dreadwings above him dropping cages which held more Apes, and they started attacking the cannon.

"Dammit...Shard! Keep these Apes off of me!" He said to the Ice Dragon. In response, Shard sent Cynder and Flare to help him, keeping the Apes away from the cannon, allowing for him to shoot again. Hitting another Siege Tower, he turned the cannon to face the final Siege Tower.

_"Come on..." _Spyro grumbled and set up the cannon for the final shot...but the cannon wouldn't fire, he turned back to see that the wiring for the cannon was torn up. "Shard! The cannon's busted!" He called out, and the Ice Dragon flew down to him and saw that he could easily reconnect the wires.

"I need cover!" He told the girls, who turned back and did just that, allowing for him to rebind the wires, and give Spyro the all clear to fire.

"Here goes nothing..." He muttered and prepped the cannon for the killing blow, and pressed the button to fire. He watched as the cannonball shot out of the cannon and into the final Siege Tower, knocking it down. "The Towers are down!" Spyro announced to Shard, who nodded and sent a signal to his troops.

"Prepare the bombardment!" He ordered them, and two four-group squadrons moved in, dropping bombs onto the Ape forces below, desecrating their numbers and hindering the assault.

"Good job, Spyro, looks like they're falling back for now." Shard congratulated the Purple Dragon as he hopped out of the cannon, and Cynder walked up to him.

"Just doing my job." Spyro responded when he spotted four Dragons flying down to them.

"Look, it's Ignitus!" Cynder said as the Elder Dragon landed in front of him.

"Young Dragon...it is good to see your face again." Ignitus smiled as Spyro walked up to him.

"Thank you, Ignitus, but I think this is far from over." He replied.

"Indeed, Malefor himself is here at this battle, which clearly means this is one of importance."

"What we do know: is that he has the Time Crystal, and is possibly going to use it to destroy reality as we know it." Terrador added while Volteer and Cyril trailed behind them.

"Come along Spyro, Cynder. There is much to catch you up on." Ignitus beckoned them along with Sparx and Shard to follow them, and they did so.

* * *

"So, Malefor believed he could harness you and Cynder's powers to become stronger because of the imprint?" Shard asked Spyro, who nodded in response while they walked through the streets with the others.

"He certainly was intent on luring Cynder to the Fortress, but I guess he found out about that Crystal and thought it was more powerful...so he sent Rose to terminate me." Spyro recalled the fight with a slight pain.

"Rose...Spyro, what happened to her? I thought she'd be here at this battle, considering the Dark Master himself is also present." Shard wanted an answer, causing the Purple Dragon to sigh heavily.

"She's dead, she was told to execute me, but I tried to save her from Malefor's influence...it worked...but at the cost of her life. I'm so sorry, Shard, the worst part about it? Was that she wanted to fix things with you, to rebuild trust and come home...but she never got the chance." Spyro explained as he turned to see Shard tear up slightly.

"I always knew she could never have truly shut me out of her life. But I've been seeing Janne lately for therapy...did you know she's the only Cadet who specializes in Psychology? It's weird, but helpful." Shard responded while Spyro looked at Cynder, then at the Guardians.

"Momentum has swung to our side, Ignitus. This could be our only chance to attack Malefor's fortress head on and retake the Time Crystal." Terrador commented as Ignitus nodded in acknowledgement.

"I'd like to believe that, Terrador...but with Malefor, nothing is certain." The Fire Guardian remarked wearily.

"Ignitus...are you okay?" Terrador inquired.

"I'm not sure if I can go through with this."

"You can't go through with killing the Dark Master? Ignitus, he's slaughtered countless lives, his oppression is vast, he doesn't deserve mercy."

"But you forget, Terrador. I grew up with Malefor, we were like brothers, how can I kill my brother?" Ignitus asked the Earth Guardian, who shrugged.

"I suppose you're right Ignitus, I was there too with you and Malefor, but it is a shame that Synthia isn't with us, she was the only one who could convince Malefor to let go of his evil." Terrador reminisced with Ignitus.

"Yes...her and Incendia...but we can't focus on the past, Terrador, we must find a way up to the Fortress...and I think I know a way." He glanced back at Cynder, who wasn't paying attention to them. Suddenly, a large purple crystal was dropped from the sky by a Dreadwing. The crystal showed a projection of Malefor.

"Citizens of Warfang: Congratulations, you shall be the first to witness the great rebirth of this world. As you know, I have your precious Time Crystal, and in 30 minutes, this entire universe will be non-existent...and I will forge a new one, teaming with life. A world under my rule, nay, a universe under my rule...if your "Dragon of Destiny" can hear me, I have but one declaration for you: Come, and let us see is the ancient prophecy will be fulfilled." The projection dispersed, and Spyro looked at Ignitus.

"I fear, we will have to make our final push now, come with me, Spyro, Cynder. I have a plan."

"Ignitus...rebirth or not, the Apes will stop at nothing to take the city, we have to hold them off while you go and fight the Dark Master." Shard pointed out.

"Yes, Shard, I am aware, which is why I'm leaving you in charge of our defense command, Terrador and Gaia will assist you in taking the necessary steps. Cyril, take the other Cadets and defend the east wall with Glacia. Volteer, I need you and Voltea to escort the citizens to safety. Now, we have 30 minutes till all hope is truly lost...but until then, we have an edge: The Dragon of Destiny." Ignitus looked down at Spyro.

"But how will we get up there without being ambushed in the air?" Cynder asked.

"I'm glad you asked, Young Dragon, come, as said before: I have a plan." The Fire Guardian beckoned Spyro and Cynder to follow, while Terrador stayed with the others.

"Alright: You heard the Dragon, let's move!" He told them and they scattered, except for Shard. "Come, Gaia will be waiting for us in the Command center." He told Shard and they took flight.

* * *

Ignitus walked with the two Dragons to a corner tower in Warfang, when he noticed Sparx was also with them. "Cynder, what I'm about to ask of you will be one of the most intense things you've done yet, now listen closely." Ignitus told the Dragoness.

"I need you to harness your Wind Element, and create a safe jet-stream for you to fly towards Malefor's lair." He explained to her.

"What!? You want me to create a Wind current that goes all the way up there?" Cynder asked.

"It's okay, Cyn, I've taught you enough for you to do this." Spyro reassured her, but she remained skeptical.

"But we never finished our lessons on Wind, what if I lose focus, what if one of us is injured, what if-?" Cynder was cut off when Spyro took her paws.

"You can do this, Cynder, I believe in you." he smiled, while Ignitus smiled.

"Indeed you can, Cynder, as for myself, I will not be able to come with. I must defend Warfang with the others...this is something you must do: Spyro." Ignitus informed them and was prepared to walk off, but not before he spoke to them one last time. "May the Ancestors look after you...may they look after us all." He said and flew off.

"Alright, Cyn, now concentrate. Remember what I taught you: Feel the breeze flowing through your body." Spyro backed away and Cynder closed her eyes. "Very good, now I want you to harness that breeze, and channel it outwards..." He had her focus, and before she knew it: she had created a jet-stream.

"I...I did it!" She laughed slightly and Spyro kissed her cheek.

"I always had faith." He smiled at Cynder when Sparx flew up to them.

"Well: let's go!" He crossed his arms, but Spyro seemed saddened.

"Sparx...you can't come with me: this is something I have to do...with Cynder." He responded.

"But not me?" Sparx seemed a little offended.

"Sparx, Spyro's right: you might die, and he doesn't want to deal with a third death on his conscience." Cynder justified it.

"Well I...Cynder, take care of him for me...we've been through a lot together."

"I promise." Cynder flew into the jet-stream, but Spyro turned back to face Sparx.

"Take care of yourself, and be that glamorous hero you've always wanted to be...we'll see each other again, I promise." Spyro comforted the Dragonfly, who flew in and hugged his snout.

"Be careful, bro...make sure Spikey doesn't try anything." Sparx pulled away and Spyro nodded, taking flight into the jet-stream...to face the Dark Master.


	26. Chapter 26: Confrontation

Chapter 26: Confrontation

Spyro and Cynder had flown rather peacefully on their way to Malefor's fortress, but when they had landed, Cynder had become fearful.

"Spyro...I'm scared." She told him, and he draped his wing over her.

"Just stay close to me." He replied and the large door opened to reveal Malefor sitting in his throne, seeming satisfied with their presence.

"At long last, my guests have arrived. Such determination to get here, it seems we share other qualities besides that of our color..." Malefor grinned.

"No! I'm nothing like you!" Spyro snapped while the larger Purple Dragon walked around him.

"Do you think so? Hmm...we'll get to that." Malefor said confidently.

"Don't listen to him, Spyro, don't listen to anything he says." Cynder reinforced his guard.

"You look so weary...allow me to indulge you in the construction of my machine." Malefor showed them his device, with the Time Crystal in the center.

"You'll kill everyone on this planet, even yourself!" Spyro exclaimed, but Malefor laughed.

"On the contrary, this mere vessel may be destroyed, but my essence will be preserved throughout time and space itself." Malefor's statement confused Spyro.

"Vessel?" He wonder aloud, causing Malefor to roll his eyes.

"Yes..."Malefor" is my pawn! Why do you think people refer to me as the Dark Master? I am no mere physical being, I am an essence of darkness itself. The Dragon I have, Malefor, is my puppet, enslaved to my will. I control his body...I made him destroy the only life he ever had. I made him kill Incendia and Rose! You want to know what Malefor was like? He was weak, he rebuked violence when he should've embraced it, I've merely enhanced his power...oh, Ignitus never told you this, did he? Why would he? No one would believe him, and now: I will use his body to wipe your unholy existence off of this planet!" Malefor roared and slammed Spyro into the wall.

"Spyro!" Cynder cried out, then she growled and leapt at the Dark Master, only to be swatted aside.

"Now then, Cynder, your usefulness has come to an end..." He was prepared to kill her, but Spyro leapt on his back, digging his claws in. "ARGH!" Malefor tried to reach for Spyro, but he used his lightning to send a jolt throughout the Dark Master's body. It didn't last long since he grabbed Spyro and flung him through the wall into another room, he turned his attention back to Cynder, who had vanished and spewed Poison and Shadow Fire at him. The Dark Master laughed as he extended his paw, and Dark Magic flowed from it and countered the Shadow Fire.

"Pathetic whelp, you know nothing of your abilities, and you will not stop me..." He began using his larger body mass to push Cynder towards a pit of lava in his fortress.

"Not so fast!" Spyro rammed into the Dark Master, causing them to roll across the ground. "You wanted to kill me, right!? Well, come get a piece!" He mocked the Dark Master, who roared and charged at him. Only for Spyro to use his Ice to stiffen his attacker's body, and Malefor crashed into the room with the machine.

"Master!" Nemoy saw him and tried to help, but was stopped by him.

"Finish. Your. Work." He growled and tossed Nemoy aside, and flew back into the throne room. "You have interfered with me for the last time, Purple Dragon!" The Dark Master snarled.

"My name is Spyro!" Spyro retorted and met him head on in a uppercut, which caught the larger Dragon by surprise.

"You hit well..." He smirked and blasted Spyro with pure Aether, who was trying to resist the extreme heat of the blast. Until Cynder did the same move as Spyro and leapt onto The Dark Master's back, clawing at him. "You are persistant, aren't you?" He asked and threw her over to Spyro, who caught her.

"I got you!" He said to her and let Cynder down. "Now: let's do this!" Spyro leapt at Malefor with Cynder, and the battle continued.

* * *

"More Siege Towers incoming!" A Mole cried out and Janne looked over at it.

"You know the drill, people!" She exclaimed and they rammed right into the Dark Crystal on the center. causing it to tumble onto the Apes below.

"Are the cannons primed?" Janne asked a Mole inside one of several cannons, who nodded. "Then fire!" She cried out and the cannonballs launched at the Siege Towers, knocking each one of them down.

"Apes are scaling the walls!" Another cry was interrupted when an Ape climbed over the wall and stabbed the Dragon, killing him.

"Defend this position!" Glacia said it for Janne and they all charged at them, making sure to properly defend the wall.

* * *

"Shard! We need our anti-air guns primed on those fliers." Gaia told Shard, who ordered the Mole to his right to give the signal to fire, he nodded and pressed the signal button. The Moles in the heavy guns acknowledged and started shooting down Dreadwings and a few Dropships.

"Keep the pressure on! We don't want them dropping any reinforcements into the city." Shard ordered, hoping that Spyro and Cynder could stop Malefor.

* * *

Speaking of Spyro, he was busy getting clobbered by the Dark Master.

"I'm going to enjoy this..." He grinned evilly and charged Spyro's face into the stone floor, and tossed him towards the throne. Then Cynder tried to use her Fear on the Dark Master, but he absorbed the blast and fired it back on her, warping her vision, and gripping her.

"How does that feel?" He asked the now shivering Cynder, who was terrified of the warped Dragon, he then hurled her next to Spyro, and walked up to them. "Now...to finish this..." He turned to face Nemoy, who was handing him a lever.

"Once you pull this, the Temple will plummet into the Volacano. Only when the machine makes contact with the Planet's core is when it will wipe away the Timeline." He explained and had the Dark Master take it.

"Excellent work...you two should be grateful that your pitiful existence will measure up to something after all." He said and pulled the lever, immediately the fortress started crashing into the volcano, Spyro regained his footing and charged into the Dark Master, grabbing the lever. He tried to flip it up, but the machine still functioned.

"You will not stop me, Spyro!" The Dark Master growled.

"So, you can remember my name." He smirked and kicked Nemoy away, Spyro then blasted The Dark Master into the wall with Aether.

"No!" He protested while Spyro rushed to the machine, breaking the glass holding the Time Crystal in place, and was preparing to yank out the gem, but then Leo and Falcon tried to ambush them, only for Cynder use her poison on them.

"Do it, Spyro!" She said as Spyro used his Earth element to yank the Time Crystal out of the machine. Once he did, a flurry a visions filled his mind: He saw a Purple Dragon who seemed to resemble him flying with a Magenta Dragoness in a series a floating islands, who looked vaguely like Cynder. He saw himself and Cynder again in a valley, once more, he saw himself and Cynder in a forest of some kind. Finally, he saw a pale-flesh colored Dragon with a glove filled with gems, snapping.

"Spyro!" Cynder brought Spyro back to reality. "Spyro, we're going to die if we stay here." She informed him, who looked at Malefor, then at the fortress. He calmly said

"Get close to me..." He trailed off and had the Dragoness step beside him, allowing him to form a protective purple orb around them while the Fortress crashed onto the Planet Core, shattering into different piece. They slowly descended onto the surface, and Cynder hugged Spyro when it dispersed.

"Is it...is it over?" She asked and they walked on the purple crystal that was the Core of the Planet, her question got it's answer when the Dark Master broke through the rubble, roaring in fury.

"_**YOU WILL ALL BURN!**_" He screamed in fury, purple fumes clouded his eyes and maw, his body soon erupted in purple flames.

"There's your answer..." Spyro became much more confident. placing the Time Crystal on a piece of rubble. "Make sure that it doesn't make contact with the Core." He instructed Cynder, he charged at him, but he gripped Spyro and slammed him into the Core.

"Spyro!" Cynder cried, causing the Dark Master to turn and face her. Using his Dark Magic, he shackled her and started to torture her.

"_**I should've killed you when I had the chance!**_" He snarled and clenched his fist, increasing the threshold of pain that was dealt on Cynder, who screeched in agony. But he was blasted by a round of Pure Aether, he turned to see Spyro, black mist was starting to float off of his body.

"DON'T TOUCH HER!" He yelled as a beam of Aether shot down from the sky and onto his body. Once he emerged, he was now black with gold highlights, and white soulless eyes.

"**_Finally, a challenge..._**" The Dark Master smirked and they charged at each other, now the real battle had commenced.

* * *

**Hello folks, apologies for the shorter chapter, but this final battle is being cropped into two parts, this being the first, so...yeah, epic.**


	27. Chapter 27: Painful Reality

Chapter 27: Painful Reality

Spyro and the Dark Master clashed, each time a spectacle of lights would flash. Cynder was laying on the ground, unconscious, all the while, the two Dragons fought.

"_**So, how does it feel to be one in the same?**_" The Dark Master asked, causing Spyro to growl and punch him away.

"I am nothing like you!" He snapped and blasted a stream of Pure Aether at the Dark Master, who countered it with his own Aether stream. He managed to overpower it with his own, knocking Spyro to the ground.

"**_Still as weak as ever...just like Incendia._**" The Dark Master smiled, giving Spyro great fury as he rammed into the Dark Master, smashing into the Core, as he repeatedly pummeled The Dark Master's body.

"THIS IS FOR INCENDIA!" He punched with great fury.

"THIS IS FOR ROSE!" This time, his blow was even greater.

"AND THIS...THIS IS FOR MY PARENTS!" Spyro seemed to have did something, since he heard a crack coming from his opponent's ribs.

"_**Good...good, Spyro...kill me, fulfill the prophecy...you are the *cough* Dragon of Destiny, are you not?**_" The Dark Master tried to goad him, but when Spyro saw what he'd done, he became horrified and his scales changed back to purple.

"No...I'm not liked you..." He replied, causing the Dark Master to sigh.

"_**Very well...**_" He formed a dagger with his Dark Magic unbeknownst to Spyro, and stabbed the small Dragon in the gut.

"Ack!" His eyes widened and he looked down at the puncture when he was pushed back by the Dark Master. As Spyro fell back, he felt where he was stabbed, seeing the blood dripping from his hand.

"_**Now. witness the-agh!**_" Cynder leapt onto the Dark Master's back, but he quickly grabbed her and tossed her alongside her love.

"Spyro!" She cried upon seeing his wound, all while the Dark Master grabbed the Time Crystal, and held it up in the air, his body still erupting with Purple Flames.

"_**Your efforts were in vain, now...witness the great rebirth!**_" He held up the Time Crystal and started charging it up to erase all of time itself.

"Spyro...this is it, isn't it?" Cynder asked him, he looked up at the Dark Master.

"No..." He slowly stood up, he could feel the spirits of Incendia, Rose, and Nero flow through him, giving him strength. He could hear their voices as he slowly limped towards the Dark Master, Spyro held his wound tightly, his eyes glowing a vibrant purple.

_"Now it is time to unleash the true Dragon within you..." _He could hear Ignitus speak to him, and his maw glowed a bright purple.

"**_Oh stop trying to fight me and-ARGH!_**" The Dark Master was struck by a powerful blast of Aether from Spyro.

"YOU WON'T HURT MY FAMILY ANYMORE!" He roared, and the Dark Master fired back.

"_**You cannot defeat me! I AM ETERNAL!**_" The Dark Master snarled and let go of the Time Crystal as it still floated, they remained in a standstill, the Aether energy bounced off the walls that surrounded them. Eventually Spyro blasted Malefor to the ground.

"I will never kill you...because that doesn't make me any better." He replied and held his wound, suddenly, the Time Crystal lit up and a bright pink light glowed throughout the room.

"_**GEAGHHHHH!**_" The Dark Master screeched in pain, while Spyro saw that the stab wound on his gut had sealed up, and the blood on his hand had evaporated.

_"Malefor, long have I watched you, your life has been filled with pain. Now...allow me to PURGE you of this parasite, leave Malefor alone, and burn in your own Hell!" _A crystal White Dragon appeared from the light and held out his hand, suddenly the purple mist in his eyes and mouth was drained from him. Eventually the mist became an energy orb, and the White Dragon dispersed the energy, practically killing it. Then Malefor fell on the ground, unconscious, the Crystal Dragon then vanished, but the Time Crystal remained where it was.

"Spyro...what happened?" Cynder walked up to him and inspected where he had been stabbed, seeing the wound was entirely gone, suddenly a voice spoke to Spyro.

_"Hello, Young Dragon, I have been watching you for some time. I, am Guardian #42, I watch over a collective series of Universes, yours is a peculiar one, as many stories have been told from it. You have fulfilled a great prophecy, one that no other Universe has ever been presented with, one fortold by the Ancients of this world: You have saved the Multiverse, the Dark Master would've used the Time Crystal to destroy not just this Universe, but the entire Multiverse. An anomaly created during a mishap which involved four worlds merging, he possessed this world's Malefor, and planned to use his power as a Purple Dragon to wipe out all of time...but you stopped him. Allowing for Malefor...to be restored."_ Spyro looked back at the unconscious Dragon.

"He...was never evil?" He asked the Guardian, but since Cynder couldn't hear the Guardian, she was confused.

_"Yes...in fact, he was quite the opposite...spare him, Spyro, his story is not finished yet." _The voice disappeared, suddenly the Volcano started to cave in on them.

"Spyro! We have to leave now!" Cynder exclaimed, Spyro looked at Malefor.

"We're not leaving without him." He rushed over to the larger Dragon.

"Wait...what!? Spyro are you crazy!?" She demanded an answer, but Spyro gave none as he lifted up Malefor.

"Cynder, please help me! I'll explain later!" He made it clear he wasn't leaving without the Dragon, and Cynder gave in and moved to Malefor's other side, helping to lift him up out of the Volcano right as it collapsed, the Time Crystal shot out of the rubble, and sent out a blast of energy, the Apes looked at it, but were unable to prevent the blast from incinerating their bodies.

"Look out!" Janne cried out when the blast came for them, but instead it made their bodies glow more brightly with glimmer and spectacle, Shard rushed outside to see a small shape flying in the sky.

"Hey...it's Spyro and Cynder, they're okay!" He cried out, and the Dragons started cheering, but it stopped when they saw who they were carrying with them. Ignitus walked up to the Dragons once they landed.

"Young Dragon, you never cease to amaze me, and what's more, you've returned with your companion..." Ignitus looked behind to see Malefor's body on the ground, he walked up and touched the Purple Dragon's forehead, awakening him as he no longer saw the malicious yellow eyes, but passive purple ones.

"Ugh...my head...wait." He looked up at the Fire Guardian. "Ignitus...is that you? What's going on? Where's Synthia? Wait...Synthia..." He seemed to be saddened upon hearing that name.

"Malefor...it really is you." Ignitus smiled, but the moment of joy was stopped when two guards came in from behind and knocked Malefor onto the ground.

"Don't move! Do not resist!" They were placing magic-dampening cuffs on his front paws.

"What's happening!? Ignitus! Help!" Malefor gave out a plea, and the Fire Guardian tried to help, but the guards stopped him.

"Please sir, for your own good, stay back." They tried to reason with him, but he shoved them aside.

"Oh how can you be so blind? It's Malefor, not the Dark Master!" He growled, but was stunned by the guards, who grabbed Malefor and took him away.

"Ignitus! There had better be a damn good explanation for what's going on!" Malefor called out before he was out of sight. Spyro knew what was happening, but only he and Ignitus were aware.

"I need to go and see him." Spyro blurted, causing distress amongst the others.

"What!? Are you insane!?" Sparx exclaimed, but he went after them nonetheless. "Yep...he's crazy." The Dragonfly sighed and looked back at Ignitus, who rose from the ground.

"I...cannot thank you all enough for your service, truly you were all the generation of Dragons to stop the Dark Master...but, I must do something...involving Malefor. Terrador, come with me." Ignitus beckoned the Earth Guardian and they walked towards the Dragon Temple, eventually, Volteer and Cyril left with their respective partners, leaving only the cadets.

"So...what do we do now?" Shard asked, breaking the silence.

"We survive that..." Flare pointed at the scour of Dragons and Moles coming to give their thanks.

"Oh boy...where's my pen? I'll be needing that for autographs." Sparx said moments before they were overwhelmed by the Dragons.

* * *

Spyro followed the guards escorting Malefor to their Prison, he was allowed entry since the gate keeper knew better then to deny the Dragon of Destiny...

"Hello there **(General Kenobi)**, Young Dragon, what can I do for you?" The attendant asked Spyro.

"Hi, I'd like to see Malefor, please?" He requested, and the attendant nodded and let him through.

"Certainly, the authorities are moving him to his cell now." He guided Spyro through the Prison. What he had noticed, was that a few of the Prisoners were Apes, apparently the Time Crystal hadn't destroyed them all in the blast, it was a small number to be sure, but Spyro found it peculiar how they were spared by the Guardian. He then saw what looked like...a cat person?

"What is that?" Spyro asked the attendant.

"That is one of the natives from the Valley of Avalar, he was caught attempting to steal from our vault." it was explained to Spyro as they kept walking, eventually they had reached a much lower level of the prison.

"Does Malefor really need all this security watching him?" Spyro asked as they walked by a series of guards.

"Naturally." The attendant responded, they arrived at the cell in the middle of the wall way-back, the two guards had just put the larger Dragon behind bars.

"What are you doing here?" One of the guards asked the attendant.

"This Dragon wishes to speak with the prisoner." A quick answer was given and they left Spyro alone with Malefor.

"Okay then, Malefor. Let's talk."

* * *

"Once more, you're welcome, you have been saved by me, Sparx: Scourge of the despots!" Sparx waved while Cynder eye-rolled.

"Sure you did, Sparx..." She muttered and turned back to the others.

"That should be all of them." Janne sighed in relief while Shard seemed to look at the ground.

"I'm going to go find Spyro, I think I might know where he is, too." Cynder informed the others and walked away to find her lover.

* * *

"Spyro, I presume? You're the talk of the town around here. I must say it's nice to meet another Purple Dragon." Malefor said to Spyro.

"Malefor...you're not at all what the historic texts say you are: a greedy and ambitious Dragon whose lust for power drove you to become the Dark Master." He replied, causing Malefor to sigh in a slight depressive state.

"So that's the official story? Well...I was ambitious, but only to protect those I cared about, especially...Synthia." Malefor trailed off, causing Spyro some confusion.

"Whose Synthia?" He asked.

"Synthia was: the most beautiful Dragoness in all the world, we were very much in love, like you and Cynder. But, it was not formed from genetic tampering, it was built on years of trust and friendship...I called her my "Sapphire". She was beautiful, and kind, and compassionate, a truly remarkable Dragoness, and she saw something in me. Me: a fool with a dream..." Malefor explained and looked at Spyro.

"Let me...tell you a story." He laid on the ground and beckoned Spyro to come closer to the cage, and began to tell his tale.

* * *

**Holy shit, a lot happened in this Chapter, and I gotta say despite the critiques I know I'm gonna get with this particular Chapters, I'm proud of how things turned out. In regards to the length of the book, 70 chapters minimum is still my goal, it's just that Malefor isn't the only villain, only now...he's a hero...character development I guess. Anyways, bye.**


	28. Chapter 28: Sudden Outbreak

Chapter 28: Sudden outbreak

"Synthia! Have you seen my books?" Malefor ran up to the Dragoness, who shook her head, she knew he was referring to the books which revolved around Magic studies.

"Darn...they just vanished into thin air." He snapped his fingers and the two walked together, with Synthia coiling her tail around Malefor's.

"I'm sure you'll find them soon." She smiled optimistically as they walked through the courtyard.

"I wish I had your optimism..." He responded and they continued to keep on their current course.

"Hey...how's Froststorm?" Synthia asked him, he shrugged.

"Same old: He doesn't stop talking about "The Guardian" and every time I see him, he seems to have more coffee with him than the last time." Malefor explained while Synthia nuzzled him.

"I know that this whole ordeal is frustrating, but it'll be alright, why don't you spend some time with me? I'm going to the market to pick out some new Bracers. Could be fun for both of us." She suggested, and Malefor nodded.

"Sure, why not?" He became more cheery when they eventually found the marketplace, and stepped inside to reveal the other Dragons crowding the place, Hazan knew perfectly well that this Temple was used by other students, but he knew it would suffice.

"Now, I'm looking for a specific set. So we gotta keep our eyes pealed." Synthia informed the Purple Drake as they started looking around, being sure to keep his eyes trained on anything that seemed like this jewelry Synthia told him about...although he had no idea what to look for, he caught sight of some kind of Bracers, but he wasn't sure of whether those were what his lover was looking for or not, apart from that, the Market was filled with all kinds of smaller stores of stands, particularly food and drink of varying kind, alongside that, there were shelves that were present in the middle of the Market, presumably housing other goods and more personal items that Dragons might want.

"Malefor?" He turned to see Ignitus, in some kind of uniform.

"Ignitus? What're you doing here...and what in the Ancestors are you wearing?" He asked the Fire Dragon.

"I work here, I just got a job managing the food market...I know it's not exactly what you'd call orthodox, but...I figured why not give it a try?" Ignitus explained as Synthia walked up to them.

"Hey, Malefor. Ignitus...what're you wearing?" She asked in confusion.

"Oh, I work here." He replied in a shorter answer.

"Hey, I forgot to ask you: When will Incendia arrive?" Malefor inquired.

"Probably later today." Ignitus confirmed and he bid them adieu.

"Well then, oh wait, I think I see the Bracers." Synthia pointed at a set of Jewelry that was hanging from a display, only for another Dragoness to take the Bracers, leaving Synthia disappointed, but Malefor walked up to the Dragoness.

"Excuse me, do you think you could let my girlfriend have those Bracers?" He asked kindly, but the Dragoness declined.

"Why would I give such exquisite things to a Dragoness like that?" She pointed at Synthia very accusatory.

"Hey, that's not very nice." Malefor replied, but she scoffed.

"Why should I care? It's not like she can hear me." She retorted, causing Malefor to get a little more irritated.

"Listen, I just was hoping that you'd-" He was cut off when the Dragoness pushed him back.

"Stay away from me! You've overstayed your time with me." She snapped, but Malefor stood up, looking back at Synthia, who pleaded for him to let it go in her expression, he started to walk away when the Dragoness made another comment. "Yeah, that's what I thought: go and sulk with that poor excuse for a lady." She had taken it too far, making slight insults was one thing: but he held Synthia close to his heart...and as far as Malefor was concerned: she was perfect. If someone had hurt her..he'd have no remorse for them, it didn't help that Purple Dragons were very emotionally volatile in certain situations, but most of the time Malefor was able to keep his emotions in check. But that particular comment made him snap, he turned back to face the Dragoness, his eyes vibrantly glowing purple.

"Take that back..." He trailed off, the Dragoness paid no mind to it.

"Yeah? And what'll you do to me if I don't?" Her smug retort caused Malefor to push her against the wall, at this point, numerous other Dragons were watching the event unfold.

"Take. That. Back." He growled, but the Dragoness seemed to recognize him.

"Oh...you're the Purple Dragon everyone's talking about. Must be hard, I heard your parents died in an attack lead by the Apes. How does it feel to not have any family?" The Dragoness seemed to believe she was immune to him in some way, but Malefor didn't hesitate to to show his rage as his body erupted with purple flames.

"_**You don't have the right to speak of them!**_" He snarled and began to tighten his grip on her neck, the Dragoness had dropped the Bracers awhile ago. Now she was simply trying to not lose air.

"Malefor!" He turned back to see Synthia, she was horrified with tears in her eyes, then Ignitus walked in. Seeing what he was going to do, Malefor let go of the Dragoness's neck and looked at his own hands. He grew fearful of himself.

"Stay back!" He cried and ran out away from the market, as he himself had tears flowing from his eyes.

"Malefor!" Synthia called after him, but he kept running. She looked at the Dragoness, who tried to reach for the Bracers, but Synthia picked them off of the ground and gave them to Ignitus. "I hope for your sake that this blows over lightly." She glared at the Dragoness.

"Ignitus: hold on to those for me." Synthia told the Fire Dragon and ran out of the market, trying to see where Malefor went.

_"Some idiots just take things too far."_ She sighed and began to try and find the Purple Drake. She had searched through the gardens, the courtyard. Even the Training Dojo, she had found no sign of him.

"Young Synthia, whatever is the matter?" She turned to see Hazan walking up to her.

"It's Malefor, I've been looking all over for him." Synthia responded to the Elder Dragon, who seemed concerned.

"Why is that?" He asked.

"Some Dragoness said some stupid things that got to Malefor emotionally, and now he's run off." She explained.

"I know Malefor, and so do you. Follow your heart, and you will find him." Hazan instructed Synthia and left her to herself. Follow her heart? What did that have to do with anything? Then she realized that there was one place where Malefor would've gone. The same place she too went when she needed to think: The Lakeside. Once she had arrived, he saw Malefor claw at the dirt.

"Malefor? Are you okay?" Synthia asked him, he didn't turn around and instead crumbled the dirt in his hand.

"I...I don't know what happened to me...I just..lost control." He looked at his paws, he seemed mortified by his actions, but Synthia walked up to him despite his desire to keep his distance in fear of harming her. "Never in all of the scrolls I've read on Purple Dragons have ever done what I did...they never burst into flames. Synthia, what's happening to me? I'm terrified of this...this rage, what if I lose control? What if I hurt you? I can't be willing to take that chance for your safety." Malefor explained as Synthia coiled her tail around his.

"Malefor, what happened to you was out of your control. It is possible that your skills with magic had something to do with it, maybe it was just natural. Whatever the case: We're going to solve this together." Synthia leaned against him as they watched the sunset together.

"I'm just afraid of what I might do, I don't want to hurt you...or anyone I care about." Malefor shivered at the thought, but Synthia gave him a loving kiss on the cheek.

"Malefor, nothing you do to me unwillingly could ever make me fear or hate you. I love you with all my heart and I would rather die than watch you suffer with something you can't control." Synthia grabbed Malefor's face with her paws and had him face her. "I swear to you, I will help you, no matter the cost, and we will get through this together." She finished and passionately kissed Malefor, who was surprised by how fast it all went by, but eventually returned the kiss as his eyes closed. They stayed there for awhile, occasionally breaking away for air, but then going right back at it. Finally, they were forced to break away, but they still rested their heads against one another.

"I love you, Synthia..." Malefor smiled and they pulled away, he stared into Synthia's glowing purple eyes, he searched for any false promises that she had made when she spoke to him, there were none.

"And I love you, Malefor. We'll figure this out, one way or another." Synthia and Malefor left the lakeside and returned to the Market, where fortunately the same Dragons who were there to witness his outburst were not present.

"Hey Malefor, Synthia. You okay?" Ignitus walked up to them and asked with intrigue.

"Malefor will be fine, did you keep a hold of those Bracers?" Synthia asked and the Fire Dragon pulled out the set and handed them to the Shadow Dragoness.

"Don't worry about payment, it's on the house. I'll cover it by working double tomorrow...but I need to get ready for Incendia, she should be arriving soon." Ignitus walked out of the market, leaving Malefor with Synthia, he looked over at the wall he had slammed the Dragoness into earlier, and saw some workers patching up the damage.

"Let's go, Malefor, it's getting late." Malefor was tugged by his lover and they left the Market.

"Hey Synthia, I don't know if I'll be able to sleep on my own tonight after what happened. Do you want to sleep with me tonight?" Malefor immediately realized what he said could've easily been taken the wrong way, and was about to explain, but Synthia silenced him with her finger, making sure he understood that she knew what he meant.

"Sure." She smiled and they walked to his quarters, once inside, Malefor activated his bedside lamp and got himself ready for bed, he brushed his teeth and then settled into his bed with Synthia. They embraced one another and got comfortable underneath the bed covers.

* * *

**Just to clear things up, it was about 6 PM when they went to the Market in the first place, Synthia looked for Malefor for 2 hours at least, and by the time they had returned to Malefor's quarters, it was night, there ya go.**

* * *

"Goodnight, my Sapphire." Malefor smiled lovingly at the Dragoness and they soon drifted off to sleep.

* * *

"Malefor, I...I didn't know that happened to you, I'm so sorry about Synthia." Spyro seemed felt sympathetic for Malefor as he shed a small tear.

"Some things...are beyond our control, she told me that once...still, I never could forgive myself for what I'd done. She was lost to me...and our unborn hatchling." Malefor trailed off, Spyro seemed confused.

"Unborn hatchling? You never mentioned she was pregnant." He pointed out to him, and he nodded.

"Indeed she was, shortly before my corruption, she was due to lay our egg or eggs...we were unaware of how many we'd have at the time...but once I was corrupted and started my conquest on Eclasia, she sided with Ignitus's Dragon resistance while I had gained control of Gaul and the Apes. I spent two years trying to get her to join me, or at least, the Dark Master tried. But it was unsuccessful, and she died." Malefor had explained Synthia's death to Spyro, he knew it was gruesome, but more tragic really.

"What I never found out: was if she had laid our eggs or not? But it was possible that she most certainly did...but I couldn't seem to figure out if they hatched or not. Eggs take two full years to fully form a Hatchling inside approximately, only then is it possible for the Dragon to hatch from the egg, otherwise: you'd get plain egg yolk, something the Apes loved to feast on. It made me sick internally, Synthia spent those two years on Ignitus's Resistance...wait...I remember, the night we raided that village for the Amethyst egg: your egg...Synthia was there: guarding the egg. She was defending the egg, and I had also learnt that she had left the Resistance to settle down peacefully. The night she died, was the same night I saw Voltea retrieve your egg...and when Synthia died." Malefor was clicking certain puzzle pieces together.

"Spyro. Ignitus told you that your parents were killed, right?" He asked, and Spyro nodded. "One of them was certainly killed." Malefor added on.

"Wait...what're you saying?" Spyro asked.

"Spyro...I think you're my son."

* * *

**Yeah yeah, I know: "Oh No He'S iNtErJeCtInG wItH tHe StOrY aGaIn!" I get it! Stop mentioning talking about it! Please! Dear Notch...everytime a critical review comes in, they dedicate an entire portion to this, it's just how I tell people things and clear stuff up (and also make jokes that relate to memes). People do it all the damn time in Fanfictions! This is simply me venting real quick about how irritating this is getting. I've been critiqued on doing this four times in a row, seriously! It's getting annoying! So just let me add in small details through Author's Notes, please! Anyways, despite how small this particular interjection about the timezone was, I know I'm gonna get shit for it because I always get shit for it nowadays. but yeah, there's that...how fun, my Lord...this is not meant to grind people's gears, just take it as a sign that I'm getting tired of being critiqued on Fucking Author's notes, now...I need a break...seriously. That being said, hope you enjoyed the cliffhanger, I was listening to Instruments of Destruction while writing this: a song which featured in the 1986 Transformers film, which actually made me curious. I'm wondering on whether or not I should make a story which is that film: but with Spyro characters. Leave your thoughts in your reviews...but don't give me shit for this review, I ain't in the mood for that. Anyways, bye.**


	29. Chapter 29: Filling the blanks

**Heyo, before we begin, I just wish to apologize for my rant at the end of last chapter, I was running on like 5 hours of sleep so I was a little grumpy, and it didn't help when I chose to read the reviews for this story, and got pissed very quickly by the fact that people were giving me shit for putting General Kenobi in as a joke. Overall, I apologize, and am in a much more mentally sound state than at the end of Chapter 28, anyways: let's begin, I'm sure you have like several questions, particularly about the end of last Chapter (Not the rant), so let's get into it, shall we? Before we do: SKdaGamer, I responded to a PM you sent me regarding some important matters, please respond, because I'm anxious on your reply. Now, for real: Let's get into this.**

* * *

Chapter 29: Filling the blanks

"What're you saying?" Spyro was baffled while Malefor remaing where he was.

"I'm saying that you and I, are family." He replied.

"But...that can't be true!" Spyro declared, but Malefor didn't flinch.

"Think about it, Spyro! Is it not odd to you that two Purple Dragons currently coexist together right now? That isn't possible, Spyro, not unless a Purple Dragon can successfully have an offspring, which 98 percent of the time, is another Purple Dragon, and in the history of our ancestors: it is rare for a Purple Dragon to have offspring. Either because they die to put their stamp on their age, or because they die shortly after meeting the love of their life. I found Synthia long before I was pressed into combat, the same goes for you and Cynder. We served together during the first Ape war, and when that ended, we settled down and wanted to start a family. So we tried, and Synthia was in fact pregnant after this, but I never had the chance to find out if she laid the egg because by that point: the Dark Master had corrupted me." Malefor explained to the younger Dragon, who was still speechless.

"I was very aware of you birth at the Temple, Ignitus wasn't able to hide it from me when I was evil. However, I had also learnt that Synthia's egg was due to hatch that same night...and considering how it takes two years for the egg to fully develop, it's not to far-fetched to assume that we are indeed biologically related." Malefor considered, Spyro was still unsure of how to take this news.

"I...I don't know what to say." He replied.

"Do you hate me?" Malefor asked, which confused Spyro.

"Hate you?"

"Yes...that is usually how people react when they find out that their parent was a cold-blooded killer. I slaughtered trillions of innocent lives, I tried to kill you, and I killed the closest thing you had to a mother. So just tell me, Spyro: Do you hate me?" Malefor wanted to know, but Spyro still was speechless.

"I, I don't know...I just learned that you were forced to kill people by the Dark Master, on the other hand. You caused much suffering for the world...I...I need to think." He responded and left Malefor to himself, upon leaving the prison, he saw Cynder waiting for him.

"Hey Cyn." Spyro greeted her, and she did the same, but it didn't take long for her to notice his distress.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Cynder asked the Purple Drake, but he merely shrugged.

"I...I need to think, Malefor has said something I need to process." His reply made Cynder uneasy.

"What'd he say?" She inquired, but Spyro kept silent as they walked through the city. "Spyro, I want to help you, tell me what he said."

"Fine...Apparently, Malefor is my father, or he thinks he is." Spyro explained.

"He's your what!? How?" Cynder was beyond confused.

"The stuff he says can be backed up by the Scrolls in the library of our old Temple, but...I don't know how to feel knowing the former Lord of Chaos is my Dad." Spyro elaborated, but Cynder wasn't buying it.

"I can't believe it...you always wanted to know who your parents were, but Malefor wasn't what I expected at all. What was it like talking to him?" She wondered.

"He's more tragic than you realize, he lost the only love of his life, Synthia, who is apparently my mother, on the night they raided that village for my egg...I can't bring myself to hate him, though...he's been in so much pain, how can I add to that? I can't do that, he's the only blood-relative I have left too." Spyro discussed his inner conflict.

"You do what you think is right, Spyro, if you feel sorry for your father, then you should reach out and try to help heal some of his emotional scars." Cynder suggested, and the Purple Dragon nodded in agreement.

"Maybe, but right now I need to think...alone." He walked away from the Dragoness, who was distraught at seeing her lover in such a state of confusion and conflict.

"Hello, Young Dragoness." Cynder turned to see Ignitus standing over her.

"Oh hi, Ignitus." She smiled and waved.

"Have you seen Spyro by any chance?" He asked.

"Yeah...but he needs to think right now, He was talking with Malefor." She replied as Ignitus acknowledged this.

"Very well, I'm going to speak with Malefor myself, something drastic has come up and I need to share it with him." The Fire Guardian entered the prison and was permitted entry, leaving Cynder by herself, although she was soon spotted by some Dragons who came to greet and thank her for stopping the Dark Master.

* * *

"Ignitus? Is that you?" Malefor turned to see Ignitus walk up to the cell he was in.

"Yes, it is I, old friend. You certainly look different." He commented on Malefor's appearance involving his face primarily, specifically the dark horns that jutted out in three directions.

"Well, the Dark Master did many things to me...and made me do many things for him." Malefor responded.

"I'm so sorry about Synthia, she was truly the perfect Dragoness for you." Ignitus shared his sorrow.

"And I'm sorry about Incendia...trust me, I despised what I did to her." He told the Fire Guardian.

"Malefor, I wish I could come here under better circumstances, but I'm afraid what I'm going to tell you will not be good news." Ignitus grew much more saddened.

"What is it?"

"The High Council of Warfang has ordered that you be executed tomorrow at mid-day." Ignitus closed his eyes in defeat.

"What!? Execution!?" Malefor was shocked.

"I tried to convince them otherwise, but they didn't listen."

"Well, at the very least, I won't have to wait long to join Synthia in the afterlife." Malefor smiled weakly, then Ignitus sat down beside him, they were only separated by the bars of Malefor's cell.

"If my life ends tomorrow, at least we can spend today reminiscing together." The Purple Drake chuckled and they began to talk with each other about their old life.

* * *

"Spyro?" Shard found the Purple Dragon in some kind of garden. "Spyro, I have some news from Cyril."

"What is it?" Spyro said dully.

"Malefor's going to be executed tomorrow at mid-day as decreed by the High Council of Warfang." His news made Spyro swerve around.

"What!? They can't do that to him! He wasn't in control of himself!" Spyro was outraged, causing Shard some concern.

"Woah! Why're you so riled up?" He asked.

"...Malefor is my father."

"...Wow, that's certainly a bombshell to drop." Shard responded as Spyro agreed.

"I can't let them just kill him, he's all I have left in terms of family, sure, Ignitus is the closest thing I had to a father. But after I learned that my real Dad is a weary old Dragon whose life has been nothing but suffering and pain, along with the fact he's being executed! I can't let them do this to him!" Spyro had a slight outburst, but tried to compose himself.

"Spyro, unless you're willing to lose your reputation as "The Dragon of Destiny" and defy the High Council's decree, not to mention basically warranting your own arrest. I don't think that's a good idea." Shard tried to talk him out of it, but Spyro didn't listen.

"Shard, how would you feel if Cyril was being killed for something he didn't do?" He asked.

"But Malefor did do these crimes."

"No! The Dark Master did that! Malefor was a completely different being from him, merely being used as a puppet to further the Dark Master's own agenda...now they're going to execute him for it! How do the other Guardians even feel about this?" Spyro wanted to know.

"Both Ignitus and Terrador have negative reactions to it, Cyril seems pleased with the fact he'll get to decapitate your father publicly, and Volteer doesn't know what to think." Shard explained, and Spyro was furious that Cyril wanted to kill his own father.

"Cryil, wants to kill my Dad? I'm being serious when I say that I can't stand for this." Spyro paced in a circle, while Shard looked at him, worried for his friend.

"Spyro...there isn't anything we can do. The High Council's word is practically law...unless you can somehow change their mind, you're just gonna have to accept it." Shard reasoned with Spyro.

"He's all I have left...Ignitus told me that both my parents were killed on the night I hatched, but now that I possess the knowledge that one of them is alive, as well knowing he'll be killed? I can't let it pass and come true. I have to try and stop them." Spyro replied and walked away from Shard, not listening to anything else the Ice Dragon might say.

* * *

"So, how is life as a Guardian?" Malefor asked in curiosity while Ignitus shrugged.

"It's nothing special, just a lot of responsibility, but I take solace in knowing that I'm doing my best to help others." Ignitus replied as Malefor chuckled.

"I have to appreciate how you always made fun of people who speak like that, yet that's how you're speaking right now. It's pretty ironic." He smiled and then seemed more sad. "Ignitus, I have to tell you something that I discovered recently...it's about Spyro." Malefor began, and Ignitus beckoned for him to continue.

"He's my-" Malefor was cut off when two guards walked up behind Ignitus.

"Your time is up." They told the Fire Guardian, and he sighed.

"I'm sorry, Malefor..." He apologized for the Dragon's fate, and he nodded in acknowledgement.

"It's fine, Ignitus...there's nothing that can be done now." Malefor replied and the Fire Guardian left him in his cell.

* * *

Spyro walked up to the Dragon Temple, determination in his eyes. The Moles let him in without hesitation, and at first Spyro was in awe at the size of the Temple. Certainly bigger than their old home, paintings of other Dragons engraved the walls, they seemed to be fighting Apes, at the head of the Dragon armies seemed to be a large Purple Dragon...Malefor, he was leading them into battle, clad in armor.

"He must've been so different..." Spyro whispered, then he saw Ignitus entering the Temple.

"Young Dragon, what're you doing in the Temple?" He asked.

"I'm going to try and convince the High Council to cancel Malefor's execution." Spyro informed the Fire Guardian, than Cyril appeared.

"Fat chance, Young chap, you're merely delaying the inevitable. This is my chance to show the world that my lineage is strong enough to kill a Purple Dragon." Cyril seemed very full of himself, but Ignitus walked up to him slowly, and slapped him across the face.

"Mind your tongue! Just because you were birthed from greatness is no reason to get delusions of grandeur, the moment you realize this, maybe we will all be happier...and let me remind you that this "Purple Dragon" You intend to kill is my oldest friend, not a power-hungry tyrant! Come along, Young Dragon, let us try and plea your case to the High Council." Ignitus beckoned Spyro to follow him, but not before glancing at the surprised Cyril, who could still feel the sting of Ignitus's slap.

"You went off on Cyril." Spyro pointed out, while Ignitus sighed.

"My feelings on this particular incident are...complicated, Young Dragon, he was my oldest friend...but now it's time to try and save his life." He turned to face Spyro and the two Moles standing guard opened the large doors and reveal three high platforms that had railings and a chair inside of it, the three of them appeared to be an Elderly Earth Dragon in the middle, a Middle-aged Mole on the right, and a Fire Dragon on the left.

"Who approaches the High Council?" The Elder Dragon asked, Spyro gulped and walked up to them with Ignitus behind him.

"High Council of Warfang! This is Spyro: The Dragon of Destiny, he wishes to speak with you." Ignitus informed them.

"Speak your piece, and be quick!" The Mole snapped.

"Greetings, I am Spyro. I have come to urge you to reconsider the execution of Malefor." As soon as he made this statement, the three Council members looked at one another.

"Absurd! This Dragon believes he can undo what we've decreed!?" The Mole exclaimed.

"Calm yourself Molear, This Dragon is the reason we still live today." The Dragon on the left responded.

"I don't care what this Dragon has done, Blaze, he's asking us to cancel the execution of the Dark Master!" Molear retorted, and the Earth Dragon in the middle stood up.

"Both of you be silent. I'm sorry Spyro, but we merely pass on laws and orders we see fit, the one who makes these laws is our ruler: Alida. If you want to reverse the process, you must talk to her." The Earth Dragon explained, but Spyro seemed more distressed.

"But, there has to be a way! I can't let an innocent Dragon die!" He pleaded.

"Innocent Dragon? He murdered Trillions!" Molear exclaimed, but Spyro was through with formalities.

"No, The Dark Master killed those people, he used Malefor's body as a vessel!" He responded.

"No one speaks to the High Council in such a way!" Molear stood up and pointed at Spyro, who was shielded by Ignitus.

"Molear! Calm yourself! Yes, he spoke in a non-appropriate tone, but he has a rank of authority as the Purple Dragon. Boulder, is there any way he can meet Alida before the execution takes place tomorrow?" Blaze asked desperately and the Earth Dragon considered this option.

"I will see what I can do. Young Dragon, thank you for bringing a new perspective to this situation." Boulder sent Spyro and Ignitus out of their chambers.

"I hope I got through to them." Spyro muttered to Ignitus, who nodded in agreement.

"Hey, Young Dragon!" Spyro turned to see Blaze. "I apologize about Molear, he's a little picky about some things. I am aware of Malefor's past, I was one of the few Dragons to really investigate his fall to the dark. So I know his history, I will do my best to help you with this situation." Blaze explained and shook Spyro's hand, then he walked off.

"Well, good to know we have an ally." Ignitus smiled and walked Spyro away from the High Council's chambers, and towards some kind of room. "I figure that while we're here, I'll show you where you and Cynder will be staying." Ignitus opened the door and revealed a small bedroom, not much larger than his old one at their Temple, two beds were present, each in a corner of the room. The walls themselves were a tan-ish orange and windows were present with candles to drive off mosquitoes. Attached to the Bedroom was a Bathroom complete with a shower and a sink, as well as a place where the Dragons could relieve themselves. In the main bedroom there was also a little hammock for Sparx.

"Wow, Ignitus. This is incredible! Does Cynder know about this place yet?" Spyro asked as the Fire Guardian shook his head.

"Not yet, but she will. I figured you two would like to share a room considering the strength of your bond. I had them put two beds in here, despite the fact that you will both probably be sharing one most of the time, in the incident that one of you needs space. Sparx will also be staying here, so I prepared a hammock for him as well, woven by some of the best Magic-wielders." Ignitus described the situation while Spyro walked around in awe.

"Thank you, Ignitus! Cynder and Sparx will love this." He smiled and turned to face him, but his mood changed and he became more sad when he remembered the possible death of his father, not that Ignitus was aware of the biological link between them.

"Come on, Young Dragon, let's go find Cynder." Ignitus had him follow as they went to go and find the Dragoness, awaiting tomorrow.


	30. Chapter 30: Execution

Chapter 30: Execution

_The Next Day_

Spyro awoke to a cloudy and gloomy day, he knew what was to come today, Cynder was in the bed with him, while Sparx was in his hammock. Spyro leapt out of bed and Cynder got up with him.

"Spyro...You doing okay?" She asked.

"My Father is going to die today, I'm not fine, Cynder..." Spyro trailed off and looked at Sparx, who was still asleep. "He doesn't need to experience this." He continued and they left his quarters to see Blaze walking up to them.

"Spyro, I'm sorry. Alida has denied your request to cancel the execution, Malefor will be terminated by guillotine at mid-day." Blaze dropped the news and Spyro looked at the ground.

"Spyro..." Cynder grabbed his paw to comfort him, the Purple Dragon didn't flinch while Blaze sat solemnly with them.

"Alida did say you could have a special viewing of the event, I tried to tell her it might not be the best choice, but again, she didn't listen." Blaze added on. "If you want to go and see Malefor, he's accepting visits only from those close to him."

"Spyro?" Cynder grabbed his chin with her paw, and lifted it up to see he had tears coming from his eyes.

"He's going to die and there's nothing I can do..." Spyro trailed off, while Blaze was surprised by his sudden emotion towards the topic.

"Malefor is Spyro's Father, he's all Spyro has left." Cynder explained it to Blaze, who nodded once he understood.

"Ah, I didn't realize...well, this is your only chance to go and see Malefor before the execution." He informed them and left the two Dragons.

"Come on, Spyro, we should go see him." Cynder coiled her tail around his and managed to get him to come with, though he was silent for the majority of the trip. Finally they had arrived at the guillotine and saw a tent to the right, inside was Cyril, Malefor, and some Moles who were tightening Malefor's cuffs.

"Spyro, what are you doing here?" Cyril asked, but Spyro walked past.

"I came to see Malefor...but just me and Cynder, please." He replied bluntly.

"Alone? I hardly think that-" Cyril's remark was cut short by Spyro giving a menacing glare. "Point taken." He gestured the Moles to follow him outside, leaving the couple alone with Malefor.

"Spyro...you shouldn't be here." Malefor stated, but Spyro shrugged.

"Well, I'm losing you a day after I learn who you really are, I feel like it's owed to you." He replied and Malefor pulled him in for a hug.

"Spyro, I know we never knew each other, but you're the greatest son I could ask for...Synthia would be proud of you." Malefor had started to cry, which caused Spyro to also tear up. Cynder walked up, and Malefor stopped the hug to look at her.

"Cynder..." He trailed off and the Dragoness gave an empathetic look. "I am so sorry, for everything I was forced to put you through, and you've taken such good care of Spyro. If it helps: know that I'd be proud to have you as my Daughter-in-law when the time comes." Malefor apologized as Cynder nodded and smiled, he had her join the hug.

"Malefor...Dad, I'm so sorry for this, you deserve better." Spyro addressed Malefor as his father face-to-face for the first time.

"But how can you forgive me? I've caused you both so much pain." He inquired the smaller Purple Dragon, and he pulled back to look at his lover.

"Something I told Cynder awhile back: it's not like me to hold grudges, even though you've done all these things to me, I can forgive you, especially considering how you were enslaved to do this." Spyro gave his reasoning.

"Thank you...at least I can die knowing my only family doesn't despise me." Malefor chuckled as the Moles from earlier entered to see Spyro and Cynder out. "Spyro, Cynder: May the Ancestors watch over you and bless you." He said to them and they left the tent.

"Better get ready, it's almost mid-day." One of the Moles told Malefor as he glanced at him.

"Thanks for killing the moment." He rolled his eyes and sat solemnly, preparing for mid-day.

* * *

Spyro and Cynder had remained at the guillotine until everyone else had arrived to view the execution, Shard sat beside the couple and watched as Alida herself walked onto the platform with the guillotine, she was a magenta Dragoness with a pink underbelly and highlights that were around her body, but she was also very old.

"People of Warfang, today we celebrate a long awaited victory over the forces of evil. Now, we have the perpetrator for these vile and discriminatory acts of violence." Alida gestured for Cyril to reveal Malefor, and the crowd booed and started to throw things at him, but he didn't pay any mind to it, He merely thought of Synthia to stave off the noise and ridicule. Spyro himself was growling under his breath at the crowd. "This..Desecrator has tortured us for far too long, and now he will be put to justice." Alida presented the Guillotine, and Cyril strapped Malefor into the neck and hand slots, clipping them into place as the Moles raised the sharp blade.

_"This isn't right..." _Spyro rushed into the open, and leapt onto the platform.

"Spyro!" Cynder cried as he was electrocuted by the Mole guards.

"Let him go!" Blaze demanded and rushed up to them. "I said release them!" He tried to free Spyro, Alida didn't flinch.

"Spyro! Let go of him!" Malefor tried to shake free, but was electrocuted by a Mole, eventually he stopped resisting and submitted.

"Cyril, drop the blade." Alida commanded and the Ice Dragon started to release the rope, while Malefor closed his eyes and teared up.

"Malefor! No!" Spyro started crying while the crowd were gasping at him for trying to save the Dark Master.

"I'm coming, my Sapphire..." Malefor whispered and the blade started to drop.

"NO!" Spyro screamed, suddenly the entire world turned to a blue-ish hue, alongside everyone in it...except for Spyro. "What?" He looked around, everything was frozen in place except for him. He removed the Moles holding him back and he walked around, he waved in front of Alida's face: no reaction. He had stopped time.

"Hello, Young Dragon." He was startled by a disembodied voice.

"Whose there?" Spyro asked in confusion, wiping the tears from his eyes that he still had. "Is this Guardian #42?"

"I do not know this "Guardian #42" you speak of, I am the Chronicler, and I've watched you for some time now."

"What happened?" Spyro asked in reference to what he had done.

"The Purple Dragon can harness many abilites, including Time itself. Learn to use this ability, and you will be able to see things almost before they happen...that being said, I've watched you for to long to see you distraught, so I came to contact you. Since you've been able to stop time, you can save your father from death. Go ahead." The Chronicler explained as Spyro looked at Malefor, whose eyes were still closed. He walked over and un-clamped the upper half of the wood holster, and moved Malefor out of it, pushing him backwards and closing the holster.

"What do I do now? To, you know: resume time?" Spyro inquired the Chronicler as he walked over to Malefor.

"Simple, you must concentrate on undoing the action, and the time-stream will resume, we will meet again, Young Dragon, you can be sure of that." The Chronicler bid Spyro farewell and the Purple Dragon nodded and closed his eyes, concentrating as everything gradually resumed and finally Time fully started up again, he looked at Malefor, whose eyes squinted open.

"What? Spyro, what's going on?" He asked and Spyro started tearing up, he wrapped his arms around Malefor's neck and hugged him, crying all the while, everyone else was in shock at where Malefor had gone.

"What's going on, where is the body!?" Alida turned and saw Spyro hugging Malefor.

"Guards! Seize the Prisoner!" Cyril exclaimed, but as the Moles tried to grab the Purple Dragon, they were blasted away by...a Shadow blast? From Spyro?

"What just happened?" Blaze looked over.

"STAY AWAY FROM MY FATHER!" Upon announcing this statement, everyone was speechless, including Ignitus.

"He's your what?" Cyril raised an eyebrow.

"You heard me, he's my father, and I won't let you kill someone whose entire life has been spent in pain!" Spyro growled as Alida walked up to him.

"Calm down and explain yourself." She said.

"Okay..." Spyro took a deep breath and explained. "A long time ago, Malefor was corrupted by an evil force called The Dark Master, who possessed him and used his body as a vessel for destruction. During our final duel in the core of the planet, I managed to drive off the spirit and reawaken Malefor...please Alida, he's in so much pain...don't kill him." Spyro explained his backstory, Alida looked at him, then at Malefor, who plead with his eyes to live.

"...I'll consider it, Guards! Return him to his cell until further notice, as for the little one...escort him to my office." Alida had the guards strap the magic-dampening cuffs onto Malefor and walked him off, while two guards forcefully grabbed Spyro and escorted him away.

"Spyro!" Cynder cried out and rushed through the crowd with Shard close behind.

"Everything will be all right, Cynder!" Spyro reassured her as he was pushed away from the center of town to a large building that stretched higher than the Dragon Temple, presumably where Alida resided.

* * *

"Get in there! Alida will meet with you shortly." The Mole shoved Spyro into a polished quartz room. The floors were glimmering as well as the walls and roof, on the right hand side was a portrait of some Dragon named Tachyon, on the left hand side was a dresser with bottles on the top and jewelry along with a vase holding some Marigold flowers, at the front half of the room in the middle sat a table with chairs around it in the middle of the back-half of the room was a desk, presumably where Alida sat. Speaking of which, she had just entered.

"Well, Spyro, is it? You certainly have bearings, I'll give you that." She complimented the young Drake.

"Alida, please, I'm begging you to not execute Malefor...he's all I have left." He pleaded to her, but she didn't flinch and picked one of the Marigolds, taking in the scent.

"Spyro, I'm nearly 900 years old, I've seen all this world has to offer, but never, have I seen what I witness today." She turned to face him.

"I don't understand..." Spyro trailed off as Alida walked past him.

"I mean that just a few days prior, you saved all of time itself from the Dark Master, then suddenly you're his buddy, nay, his son. You also have the audacity to try and prevent a public execution of one of the most evil Dragons in all of our time. So pardon me for being blunt: Why the hell did you try to save the Dark Master?" She asked in a rather condescending tone.

"Well...I need to explain some things...Malefor is in fact my biological father, or at least I think he is. He told me how he was corrupted by the Dark Master-"

"Yes, yes, all these things were explained to me when you interrupted the execution." Alida replied and sat in her chair at the desk, she then gestured for Spyro to join her. "Please, have a seat." Spyro reluctantly sat in one of the chairs on the opposite sides of the desk.

"Alida, I was told you make the laws of Warfang and that the High Council simply decide which ones can actually be passed and applied, if that is the case. I'd like to request that you make something that helps Malefor to be released from captivity." Spyro requested, but the Dragoness laughed.

"Spyro, it's not that simple, laws have to be constructed as Bills through a series of trials which determine it's overall rationality, once it comes to me, it's merely my job to either Veto or allow the Bills to pass onto the High Council, who in turn, decide whether to make it an official decree or not. If Malefor was to be released, it'd have to be through either serving his sentence, or if someone bailed him out with a huge sum of money, preferably through Gems. So unless you can gain a high enough sum of Gems, Malefor will be serving a life sentence in prison, since the execution is off the table now that I have another side to the story." Alida explained in depth to Spyro, who wasn't the most happy.

"Is there any way you could contribute to his release?" He asked.

"Unfortunately no, considering how my reputation is already at stake thanks to the stunt you pulled...how did you even manage that anyways? One second you were being held back, the next, you're hugging Malefor, how?" Alida interrogated Spyro, who wasn't too keen on revealing his power to stop time. "Nevertheless, I can't do anything for you, Spyro, I'm sorry." Just then, an attendant opened the door, she was a pink Dragoness, about Spyro's age.

"Um, Blaze has come to see you, Alida." She said as the Older Dragoness looked up.

"Very good, Ember, bring him in." Alida replied, but Ember got a good look at Spyro before vanishing, making him feel uncomfortable. Eventually, Blaze entered and was beckoned to sit by Spyro. "Blaze, might I ask what you're doing here?"

"Actually, I came to back up Spyro and request that you release Malefor from captivity." Blaze's request made Alida raise an eyebrow.

"I'll tell you what I told Spyro: I cannot publicly release him without denting my reputation, either he serves his sentence, or you bail him out." She explained more simply to the older Fire Dragon.

"Really? Than getting him out will be much easier than anticipated." Blaze replied, confusing Spyro.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"You really think I'm on the High Council and don't possess Gems of any kind? Alida, how much is the amount required to bail Malefor out of prison?" Blaze inquired.

"About 2000 Gems total."

"Psh! A walk in the park, Spyro. I'll get your father out of that cell and into a home. I can cover his bills and whatnot, and find him a good place to live. Thank you for your hospitality." Blaze had Spyro follow him out of the office, Alida didn't fully care for it for other reasons. As they left, they caught sight of Ember staring at Spyro again, so he hastened his walk, he didn't feel comfortable around her.

"Blaze, are you actually going to bail out Malefor?" Spyro asked as Blaze nodded.

"He deserves a second chance...everyone does." He replied, once they had entered the streets, Moles and Dragons alike glared at Spyro, presumably because he revealed his origins. "But they should be a little more grateful since you managed to save all of time." As they kept walking, Spyro caught sight of Cynder, Flare, Flame, and Shard walking up to him alongside Sparx.

"Hey there, Savior boy." Sparx greeted him.

"Hey Sparx. What's with this small group?" Spyro asked.

"Well, After your...announcement, some of our friends decided to kinda...not hang out with you...Cyril has managed to form a small following to kinda disown Malefor." Shard tried to be delicate about how he spoke.

"So...you mean everyone hates me...except for you?" Spyro guessed, and Cynder nodded reluctantly.

"I'm afraid so...especially the Secondary Dragons...speaking of Secondary, did you shoot Shadow Fire earlier?" She wondered.

"I...I think so, but I don't know why." Spyro replied and was greatly confused.

"Well, maybe we can ask Malefor when we go to bail him out." Blaze considered as they walked off to go and finally release Spyro's father.


	31. Chapter 31: A Second Chance

Chapter 31: A Second Chance

"Alright, Malefor, come on." One of the guards opened up the cell door for him and they yanked him out, he walked for some time through the dreary prison walls, as he walked by, a cheetah grabbed it's prison bars and growled. Once they had exited that room, the guards released Malefor and let him exit, when he left, he saw Spyro and Cynder waiting for him with a large Red Dragon.

"Spyro! Cynder! It's good to see your faces again." He smiled and walked up to them.

"You can thank Blaze for that." Spyro glanced at Blaze.

"Well, Blaze, I thank you." Malefor bowed in gratitude.

"I'm aware of your history, Malefor, I know of your...tragedy."

"Well, that is good to hear, I'm just grateful I get to see my son again." Malefor looked down at Spyro.

"Speaking of which, we had a question to ask you, Spyro used Shadow to protect you, why is that? He's never been able to do that before. Not even I knew he could do that." Cynder got to the point.

"Yeah, we were hoping you could explain that." Spyro added on as Malefor thought about it for a moment.

"It is likely that your genealogy might have something to do with it...Synthia was a Shadow Dragoness, it is possible that you inherited this power from her...but I can't be sure, you might be able to master the other Secondary Elements, but even then, I never could..." The larger Purple Drake suggested as Blaze walked up to him.

"Either way, now we have to focus on getting you a roof under your head, Spyro and Cynder live in the Dragon Temple, but I can find you a place, help out with your bills and whatnot considering I'm fairly wealthy due to being on the High Council." Blaze revealed to Malefor and he raised an eyebrow.

"Well...it's good to know not all my family has left me." Malefor smiled at Spyro as Cynder coiled her tail around his. "I'm also proud of you, Cynder, for looking after Spyro for me." Cynder blushed in embarrassment and nuzzled Spyro.

"I was just doing my job." She responded and Blaze lead Malefor away from them and towards the house Blaze had provided him, as the two Dragons watched, Cynder smiled at Spyro.

"Well, this is going to screw over my public profile." Spyro sighed and the Dragoness giggled.

"You shouldn't worry about what other people think about you, what matters is you did the right thing. We don't always get rewards for it, though." Cynder replied.

"When did you start spouting wisdom?" Spyro asked her and she smirked.

"I took some notes." She uncoiled her tail and slid it under Spyro's chin in a seductive manner, but naturally, the Purple Dragon was oblivious to it's nature. Spyro himself took a chivalrous step and grabbed her front paws and raised her up and they were almost in a slow dance position as they looked at each other.

"I don't want to come off as weird, but I've been waiting to do this with you since we arrived in Warfang." Spyro commented to Cynder, who laughed a little.

"Oh Spyro, you certainly are a gentleman, and to think that it was like yesterday we hated each other." She responded and they leaned closer for a kiss, but they were forced to break off when the crowd surrounding them started throwing things at Spyro and Cynder.

"Get a room!" They parted as Spyro growled and grasped Cynder's arm, dragging her away from the crowd and towards the Dragon Temple.

"Spyro, calm down." Cynder could feel the fury in his grip as they stopped at the top of the stairs leading to the Temple.

"I'm sorry you had to be a part of that, Cyn." Spyro apologized to her as they grasped paws.

"It's okay, just remember what I told you: don't worry about what other people think of you...now if you don't mind, I'd like to continue somewhere more private." She replied in a seductive tone, one that Spyro could identify that time.

"Whatever you wish, my dear." He smiled as they kissed briefly and then entered the Temple to head towards their quarters.

* * *

_Many Years Ago..._

"Again, this time, concentrate more." Malefor instructed Synthia as she breathed heavily.

"I didn't think this would be so hard." She panted as the Purple Drake walked up behind her.

"Well, you wanted to learn how to use Magic, I told you, it's not easy to master, I've spent years perfecting my craft, I didn't get good overnight." He replied. "Now again, and this time, concentrate." Synthia nodded and closed her eyes, extending her paw outwards, for a moment, nothing happened...until a weaker purple hue formed around her paw, and she weakly lifted a small pile of rocks, once Synthia realized what she was doing, she gasped giddily and dropped the rocks.

"I did it! You saw that, right!?" She asked him as Malefor smiled and walked up to her, grasping her paws as she skipped up to him.

"Yes, I saw it, you did really good considering it was your first time." Malefor complimented as Synthia looked up at his eyes.

"I learned from the best." Her comment made Malefor blush in embarrassment, he wasn't really used to such compliments.

"Well, I...thank you. You really mean it?" The Purple Dragon asked Synthia, who nodded in response.

"Definitely." She leaned against him. "Besides, I intend to follow through: I teach you to better master your elements, you teach me about Magic, plain and simple." Synthia pulled away and grabbed her bag, gesturing to the time.

"Well, I suppose it is late. That'll be all for today, Synthia." Malefor agreed with her silent gesture and grabbed his own bag. Walking with her away from the field they had set up for practice, and towards the Temple where they resided. On the way, they caught sight of Ignitus and a Fire Dragoness walk up to them.

"Hey Malefor, Synthia." Ignitus greeted them as they looked over at the Dragoness.

"Hello Ignitus, whose the lady?" Synthia asked.

"Oh right! This, is Incendia. Incendia, these are my friends I've told you about: Malefor and Synthia, she arrived last night after what happened at the market." Ignitus introduced them to Incendia, who inspected their forms.

"So, you're the Dragons Ignitus is always talking about. I must say he's really accurate with his descriptions." She commented.

"What kinds of stuff did he say about us?" Malefor asked Incendia.

"Well, he said that you were a shy but caring Dragon who dislikes violence. As for Synthia, he describes you as a friendly and eager Dragoness who likes those close to her and helps others in need." Incendia explained and nuzzled Ignitus, causing him to blush.

"Incendia!" He snapped, causing Synthia to giggle.

"You two seem good together. I think I'm going to like her." She said the last part to Malefor and they coiled their tails together.

"Well, I'm just giving Incendia a tour of the Temple, after that, I'll introduce her to Hazan and request if she can stay with me. Considering it's been getting more difficult to talk with each other, our families have been on the brink of war for awhile now. But I reckon those Apes will force them to unite." Ignitus explained to them.

"Then don't let us keep you two, by all means, enjoy our Temple." Malefor allowed them to move along and kept going with Synthia through the courtyard. "Do you mind if we take a walk? I love this time of day." Malefor asked his lover, and she accepted.

"How can I refuse, my love?" Synthia replied as they walked throughout the courtyard. "So, how is the patient today?" She asked Malefor in regards to Froststorm.

"Well...I'm actually not sure, I haven't gone to see him yet." He replied as they looked out at the sunset. "Nature is so beautiful." He sighed and glanced at two birds nestling together in their nest on a tree. They nuzzled one another like Malefor and Synthia did, the Purple Drake smiled and looked at Synthia, grateful for the life he had with her and Hazan, and Ignitus, and all of his friends. "I never realized how lucky I've had it." His sudden statement drawing Synthia's attention.

"What do you mean?" She inquired as his wings folded outwards.

"I mean that I could've been miserable growing up, I could've had a family who hated me and wanted me dead, I could've been born into a impoverished underclass. But instead, I grew up here, where I could be safe and welcome. My parents dying from the Apes was hard to deal with, yes...but I still found allies, a father-figure...and someone for me to lean my shoulder on to cry." He looked down at Synthia. "Someone special." She looked up at him as they kissed for a moment, and then parted, with Malefor draping his wing over her back.

"I love you, Synthia."

"I love you too, Malefor." The two Dragons remained for some time until night was starting to show. "We should head back inside now, I think." Synthia suggested, but Malefor remained, staring at the night sky.

"I've always been fascinated by the wonders of the Cosmos..." He stared in awe while Synthia remained.

"What's so wondrous about it?" She asked.

"Just the fact that we're so microscopic in such a diverse Universe, in a way, we barely matter...that gives me feelings of dread and wonder. Knowing someone could be watching us, too...is also, kinda unnerving, and I've been getting some of those vibes from Froststorm lately." Malefor explained as he felt a small pang in his neck, he quickly struck the source, and saw a small splattered bug. "Great, Mosquitoes. Now we can go." He reluctantly left with Synthia and returned to his quarters to rest with her. As they entered his quarters to rest, Malefor seem distressed, but it didn't take long for Synthia to notice.

"Malefor, is something wrong?" She asked in concern.

"It's nothing...but I can't help but feel like something's off..." He looked out his window as Synthia walked up behind him.

"I think you're getting a little too paranoid, if it's about Froststorm, then I think you should go and see him tomorrow. If that isn't the case, I'm sure it'll blow over." Synthia responded as Malefor looked over at her, she then wrapped her arms around him. "Now come and snuggle with me, you big purple loaf!" She smirked at the Purple Drake, who smiled in response to her enthusiasm.

"Well, when you put it like that..." Malefor suddenly scooped her up into his arms and carried her to the bed, once there, he set her down gently and walked around to lay next to her. Once he was settled, Synthia made another move to wrap her arms around his upper torso, Malefor, in turn, grabbed her waist and pulled her in closer.

"Goodnight, my love." He kissed her forehead and waited for her to fall asleep. But he himself didn't sleep, he stared out the window past Synthia's resting form, he glanced at the stars, he still felt like something was wrong, but he eventually figured he'd listen to his lover, and he fell asleep alongside her.

* * *

**Hey people, apologies for the shorter chapter, but I kinda ran out of ideas with this one, but I've got a solid vision going forth, so until then, you'll have to make due with this short as hell chapter, anyways...peace.**


	32. Chapter 32: Old Wounds

**Hey folks! Sorry this took so long to make, I kinda had a Sprained Ankle, you know, the usual. I'm just lucky none of my bones were broken, I am currently recovering and am now able to actually sit normally, which gives me the opportunity to write again, now, let's get on with this Chapter.**

* * *

Chapter 32: Old Wounds

_One Month Later..._

Malefor stepped outside, the warm sun gleamed down on his scales. The sky in Warfang was clear as he grabbed some empty bags and made his way to the market. He could feel the stares coming from the citizens, but he thought nothing of it as he entered the market, already everyone was set off by his presence, but he paid no mind and grabbed the items he needed: food, drinks, the essentials. As Malefor walked through the market, he caught sight of a Champagne and gasped when he realized it was the same type of Champagne he had gotten for Synthia on their one week anniversary. "Aren't you a rare find?" He muttered and placed a bottle into his grocery crate. Once he made it to the checkout, he placed the items on the counter and gave the Mole the required amount of gems.

"Keep the change." He said plainly and had the Mole pack the groceries into the bags he had brought with him.

"Well, uh...have a nice day." The Mole replied nervously and watched as Malefor grabbed the bags and nodded in thanks, he walked out of the market, and the Moles became less nervous as he departed. He stared into the clouds and reminisced about his past life with Synthia and walked calmly, embracing the calmness of the world that surrounded him, he found particular pleasure in watching the birds fly throughout Warfang.

"Hey!" Malefor turned to see a Pale, Flesh-colored Dragon.

"May I help you?" He asked as the Dragon walked up to him.

"No, you cannot, you disgusting wretch. I shan't associate myself with those that are beneath me."

"Do I know you?"

"Now you do, Moonwalker's the name, and remember it. I know who you are, Malefor, who doesn't? Regardless, Cyril speaks greatly of you." Moonwalker informed the Purple Drake. "Not in the complimentary way, of course, he despises you. I just came to see if you're as wretched as he claims." He spoke in a posh tone, much to Malefor's annoyance.

"Look, I've had my fair share of insults, and none of them will hurt me more than they already have. So if you don't mind-" Malefor tried to walk by, but Moonwalker grabbed his wing membrane, stopping him, he leaned in close.

"I will run you out of this city, mark my words. You poor excuse for a Dragon, then I'll make sure you never were born. I know what you did, and what really happened to Synthia." Once Moonwalker said the name, Malefor grabbed him and flipped him over his head and onto the ground with a neutral expression, then he knelt close to Moonwalker.

"If you ever mention that name to me again, I will do much worse than what I just did. Understand?" He bared his fangs at Moonwalker, who slightly cowered.

"What's going on here?" Malefor heard the familiar voice of Spyro and saw the Young Dragon walking up to him.

"It's nothing, son. Someone might've pushed a few buttons they should've left alone." Malefor said through gritted teeth as Moonwalker sat up.

"If it isn't Spyro, tell me, how's the freak club treating you?" Spyro turned to see Terrain, one month of festering anger seemed to have cracked the Earth Dragon's kind demeanor and turned him into a jerk.

"Terrain, don't make this difficult." Spyro requested, but Terrain didn't flinch.

"Oh, I'm going to make it difficult. Being the son of the Dark Master is quite the experience, is it not?" Terrain snapped.

"Leave him be." Malefor stepped in front of Spyro. "If you have a quarrel with my son, you can take it up with me. I may not prone to violence, but I will defend my family!" He growled as his tail lashed from side-to-side in an aggressive manner.

"That's enough!" Both groups turned to see an elderly Mole walk up to them, he bonked Terrain's head with his cane, and turned to the Dragons and Moles watching.

"If any of you had some common sense, you'd realize this isn't worth your time, now scram! Before I inform the Authorities!" His statement seemed to scare them away. Then he turned to Spyro and Malefor.

"Thanks." Spyro shook the Mole's hand.

"My pleasure, I know what it's like to be an outcast, I am Mole-Yair." The Mole bowed.

"It's good to know there aren't only enemies within these walls." Malefor sighed in relief as Mole-Yair nodded.

"If you need me, go to the northeast side of Warfang, you can find me there." He bid them farewell and Spyro picked up some of the groceries that Malefor was carrying.

"You don't need to help me, Spyro." Malefor tried to convince him to not aid him.

"I insist, Dad. I'm gonna help, besides, Ignitus doesn't need me for another hour." Spyro responded and the two of them walked to Malefor's house, meanwhile, Moonwalker had stood upright and growled at their silhouettes.

"Enjoy it while you can, Malefor. I meant what I said...I will make you feel pain, I will escape this humiliating world and gain vengeance on every version of Spyro for my exile..." Moonwalker muttered and walked away. Once Spyro and Malefor entered the house, they placed the groceries on the counter top.

"Thank you for helping, Spyro." Malefor smiled as Spyro nodded.

"Sure, anything for you. I just want to help you in any way I can, but I should still head to the Dragon Temple. Ignitus may not need me in another hour, but Cynder will want to spend some time with me." He replied, causing Malefor to chuckle.

"Then you'll want to get going, Spyro. It's not polite to keep a lady waiting, I should know." Malefor sent him on his way and started unpacking his groceries, and started to reminisce again.

* * *

_Many Years Ago..._

"Malefor, come on! We're gonna be late for the Ball!" Ignitus knocked on his door.

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" Malefor scrambled to finish polishing his scales and spray slight perfume on his body. Tonight was the annual Ball, an event that Malefor never went to prior to getting together with Synthia. But this would be his first time with her, Ignitus always went with Terrador as a friend just to have fun and dance, Malefor usually spent the time studying his Magic. He grabbed the same bow-tie he had worn to his one week anniversary with Synthia, and opened the door to see Ignitus smirking.

"You took your time."

"Shut up and walk."

The two Dragons walked through the Courtyard when Malefor caught sight of a Dragon selling some Flowers, he walked over and pulled out some gems to pay for some Lilacs. As he walked back, he started conversing with Ignitus. "Where's Incendia?" He asked.

"She's gonna meet me at the Ball, which is why I wanted to get moving 10 minutes ago. Timing is key, now: do I look nice?" Ignitus's question made Malefor chuckle.

"You look great, I just wish you looked like this more often, you're a mess normally." His comment made Ignitus raise an eyebrow.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked, but Malefor didn't answer and kept walking. They eventually made it to the main Temple and saw Synthia and Incendia standing at the stairs, waiting for them.

"You're late." Synthia walked up to Malefor, who held the back of his head.

"Apologies, I got a little caught up in studying. I got you these." He present the Lilacs to Synthia, who smiled lovingly and took the flowers.

"Okay, you're forgiven." She kissed his cheek.

"Aw, and you didn't get me any flowers?" Incendia asked Ignitus, feigning disappointment, but the Fire Dragon coiled his tail around hers.

"I brought myself, is that good enough?" He remarked.

"Always." Incendia nuzzled Ignitus and the two couples walked up the stairs and into the Temple to start their long night.

* * *

"Cyn!" Spyro called out and walked up to the Dragoness, who was delighted to see him.

"Hey Spyro, ready for our "Quick Date"?" Cynder had penned a name for the short times they had together.

"That, is a terrible name." Spyro replied as Cynder rolled her eyes.

"Well, I think it's nice." She mumbled as they walked throughout Warfang together, particularly through the green house while they admired the plants.

"My father was very interested in the natural world, kinda makes it hard to believe that he was the Dark Master." Spyro pointed out as they continued browsing.

* * *

"This place is crowded." Ignitus said to Malefor as they entered with their respective dates.

"Well, I for one am excited to show Malefor all the Ball has to offer. I usually go with friends for fun. So I can show you all this cool stuff." Synthia explained and tugged at the Purple Drake's arm, beckoning for him to come with her. In response to this, He bid Ignitus adieu and followed Synthia, who first lead him to the food table.

"So, uh...What's this?" Malefor asked the enthusiastic Dragoness.

"It's food, dummy, and that's Punch." Synthia responded as Malefor blushed in embarrassment.

"Oh, sorry." He smiled weakly while Synthia grabbed a small plate, and placed various treats and snacks on it.

"I want to give you a full experience, so I'm going to insist you try all this stuff, it's very good." She lead Malefor to a table and had him sit down. "Go on, try it." Synthia beckoned Malefor, who picked up a small chocolate cube with vanilla stripes, he took a bite and was overwhelmed by the sweetness of the treat.

"It's good, really good." He licked his chops and looked down at the plate, wondering what to try next, Synthia sat down beside him and coiled her tail around his.

"Here, try this." She gave him a small green fruit.

"What's that?" Malefor asked.

"You've never had a Grape ever?" Synthia was confused.

"Well...I never was one for fruit." He explained, causing the Dragoness to roll her eyes.

"Now you are, go on, try it." She gave him the Grape and watched as he started chewing on it.

"It's very tart. I like it." Malefor replied and started to eat some more of the foods Synthia presented.

* * *

"I had fun today, Spyro." Cynder smiled as the two entered the Dragon Temple.

"You're acting like we're not gonna see each other for the rest of the day, Ignitus said he wanted to speak with me about something, and then we can get back to being together." He reassured his lover and made his way to the Library where Ignitus was sitting.

"Ah, Young Dragon, welcome."

"Hey Ignitus, you wanted to see me."

"Indeed Young Dragon, come now, I wish to speak with you." Ignitus stood upright and lead Spyro through the Library, after a little bit of walking. They stopped.

"Young Dragon, I wanted to speak to you in regards to the new ability you discovered when Malefor was to be executed. You could use Shadow. Most rare, Malefor explained it could be the result of you lineage and relation to Synthia. But, I expect you to master this ability to help defend the Dragon Realms from other threats more vast than the Dark Master. For this, I've decided that Cynder will instruct you to master the skill and harness it." The Fire Guardian explained to Spyro.

"Where have I heard this scenario before..." He trailed off and remembered when Ignitus had Spyro train Cynder with her multiple elements.

"I realize it's a similar situation, but I feel it's only natural. That is all, bring Cynder in for me so I can give her the news." Ignitus responded and let Spyro go, upon leaving, he saw that Cynder had waited for him.

"What did he say?" She asked, and Spyro merely gestured for her to enter the Library.

"Ignitus wants to talk with you." He added on as the Dragoness entered the Library, and Spyro sat down, waiting for her to take the news.

* * *

"Well, that was filling." Malefor laid back in the chair he was in while Synthia giggled at his posture.

"Hey Malefor...do you know how to dance?" She asked, causing the Purple Drake to look at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I can learn." Before he could say anything else, Synthia dragged him onto the dance floor and started to dance enthusiastically **(Okay, don't freak out about an interjection, but I'm giving some context, there are forms of music in this world. So in a way, they have their own version of things like rock n'roll or disco, granted they aren't called that, right now they're listening to a form of Hip Hop. But it's not called that, and no, they don't have radios or any advanced technology, but they do have some music boards and other basic equipment, just a note to add some context, I know this is weird but the point is they know what Music is, now, continue.)**.

"Come on, Malefor, let loose and unwind from all that stress!" She said through the loud noise, Malefor was a little hesitant at first, but eventually he started to dance as well. Before long, the music changed to a more slow-dance type of song, upon seeing this change, Synthia was surprised as Malefor flawlessly stood on his hind legs and grasped Synthia's front paws, allowing for them to slow dance. "I didn't know you could dance so well." She was fairly surprised, but Malefor brushed it off.

"I take a few notes from observations." He replied as they danced together, eventually Synthia rested her head against his chest.

"This has been an incredible night so far, Malefor." Synthia smiled as they danced together.

"And I think you're the one responsible for that, my Sapphire. I love you." Malefor replied, they stared into each other's eyes, and kissed. The moment was magical, they had kissed hundreds of times at this point, but it felt special in this situation. Eventually, the two Dragons pulled back and kept dancing...well, at least till Synthia yawned and showed signs of exhaustion. "Seems like someone's tired, I think we should call it a night." He kissed her forehead and walked towards Ignitus and Incendia, who were also dancing.

"Hey Malefor." Ignitus greeted him.

"Me and Synthia are gonna depart for the night, see ya." Malefor explained and they left the Temple.

"Hey Malefor, do you think you could carry me to your quarters?" Synthia asked through another yawn, causing the Purple Dragon to chuckle.

"Sure, up you go." He knelt down and had Synthia lay on his back, he strained himself to stand up at first from the extra weight, but once Malefor started walking, he could manage. It didn't take long for him to return to his quarters, since it was fairly close, and once he entered, he placed the now asleep Synthia on the mattress. He too was about to pass out, but he noticed a blue flash of light in the distance.

"What in the...?" Malefor muttered and walked outside to investigate, he saw that the light was emanating from...Froststorm's quarters. "Oh no." His mild walk turned into a sprint as he rushed towards Froststorm's quarters, as soon as he arrived, he knocked on the door repeatedly.

"Froststorm! Are you in there?" He asked, no response. "Froststorm! I know you're in there, open the door." Malefor started banging on the door to open it, the blue light merely got brighter as shown through the cracks of the door, eventually. Malefor stepped back and closed his eyes, he lifted his hand and the purple magic aura formed around it, and he used it to unlock and open the door.

"Froststorm, what in the Ancestors are you-!?" Malefor was in utter shock as the Ice Dragon was staring at a massive Aqua Blue vortex.

"This, this is what I've searching for! The Guardian is real, Malefor!" Froststorm raised his arms, while he said this, Malefor saw some familiar books on his bedside table.

"Hey...those are my Magic Studies books! Froststorm, what did you do?" Malefor demanded an answer as the Ice Dragon turned to face him.

"I have been searching for the hidden sign to find the Guardian for weeks now, none of you would believe me! Now, I finally have access to the Guardian's realm!" Froststorm explained as Malefor saw Hazan in the doorway.

"What is going on here!?" He exclaimed as Malefor pointed at the vortex.

"Now: my destiny awaits." Froststorm started walking into the vortex.

"No, Froststorm! I can't let you!" Malefor grabbed his arm as the Ice Dragon tried to break free.

"Let me go!" He yelled, but in doing so, pulled them both through the vortex.

"Oh Ancestors!" Malefor was terrified as they fell through a bright blue tunnel, but Froststorm remained calm. They eventually fell through the portal and landed on a hard surface. "Ow..." Malefor rubbed his head and looked around, they seemed to be in a room filled with several more vortexes, there were shelves with Jars on them containing small glowing orbs floating in the middle of them. Malefor inspected the names on the jars, one of them said in italics: _"Flashwing." _

"What the hell?" He backed away and saw a large podium with a scroll on it.

"Welcome." Malefor turned around to see a large Black and Blue Dragon walking up to them.

"Who are you?" The Purple Drake asked.

"I am Guardian #42, and you should not be here." The large Dragon introduced himself.

"I knew it! I knew you were real!" Froststorm said triumphantly.

"Indeed, and you followed the signs I left for you. I did this to call you to my home: the Time Nexus, I have selected you to be: the Protector." The Guardian explained to Froststorm.

"The Protector? What's that?" Malefor asked.

"The Protector is the enforcer of us Guardians, I am not the only Guardian out there. But we each watch over a designated cluster of universes. Some of us have Protectors, a mortal Dragon hand picked from one of the universes and given immense cosmic power to watch over each universe, with the ability to jump from different realities. I have chosen Froststorm as my Protector." The Guardian tapped Froststorm's forehead and immediately his body lit up vibrantly, glowing a bright crystal white which Malefor had to shield himself from to keep his eyesight. Once the light dimmed down, he looked and saw the Froststorm's body still sparkled very prominently.

"Woah..." Malefor muttered as Froststorm looked at himself.

"Now this is cool, wait...my mental state feels...vastly improved." Froststorm pointed out to the Guardian, who nodded.

"Yes, I noticed you're psyche was damaged during your attempts to contact me, so I fixed it up. As for you, Malefor, you must return to your world." The Guardian stated and opened another blue vortex.

"So Froststorm is going to stay here?" Malefor asked, and the Guardian nodded.

"It's not goodbye, there's a good chance Froststorm will return to your universe on more than one occasion. This portal will take you to moments before you fell into the portal with Froststorm." He informed the Purple Drake as he slowly walked towards the portal.

"Just for the record: this is insane, and I'm not sure if it's good or bad yet." Malefor pointed out and waved farewell to Froststorm before walking through the portal, and was immediately falling again. "Oh come on!" He yelled and fell through the portal, but it didn't take as long for him to return and he landed on the hard pavement, he looked up and saw himself and Froststorm falling through the portal.

"Great...now I get to explain everything to Hazan and the others." He groaned and stood up as he began to walk to the elderly Dragon to explain the events that caused him to return.

* * *

**Well, isn't that neat? Anyways, ****Next Chapter will probably focus on more present events as Malefor struggles to live through the extremely punishing social life he currently has, but in terms of redeeming himself in the eyes of the public, I'm gonna need a few Chapters for that, but his first act of redemption will happen next Chapter, and it will involve the newly introduced Moonwalker. As for Froststorm, let me quell any false theories, he is in fact the same Froststorm who appears in the Ultimate Crossover, so he is special, which means even this world is connected to the events of other stories. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna eat some food, peace!**


	33. Chapter 33: Reputation

Chapter 33: Reputation

Malefor trekked through the streets of northern Warfang, he had arranged a friendly meeting with Mole-Yair to discuss a few things. As he walked towards his house, he saw many homeless Moles and a few young Dragons on the streets, many didn't seem to care for his identity. _"I'm ain't a fan of second-class. In fact, no one seems to really care about these people on the streets." _Malefor despised the lack of attention the homeless citizens got, he saw one of them begging for money. In response, he dropped some of his gems in the bucket.

"Thank you, kind sir." The Mole shook his paw.

"It's no issue. Use it well." Malefor replied and kept going, he eventually Mole-Yair waiting by their meeting place, a backwater Cafe.

"Ah, Malefor! Over here!" He called out to the Purple Drake, who raised his front paw in the air and waved.

"Hello Mole-Yair." He greeted the elderly Mole upon walking up to him.

"Please, allow us to talk inside where it is more comfortable." Mole-Yair led them inside up to a Wind Dragon waiter. "Table for two, kind gentleman." He said kindly as the Wind Dragon nodded and saw them to their table. The Cafe wasn't high-class, there was no windows or anything, the only thing covering the Cafe were bales of hay covering a wooden ceiling made out of individual planks in a row. The floor seemed comprised of black bricks and most of the structure itself was painted black as well, along with the tables and chairs.

"Here are your menus, sirs, I'll be back to take your orders." The Wind Dragon had them seated and left.

"I'm surprised, no one here recognizes me." Malefor pointed out.

"News doesn't always reach every part of Warfang, and these folk don't care that much. That's why no one here cowers in your presence like in the main part of the Dragon City." Mole-Yair explained and then turned to face the Dragon. "But enough of that, let us talk. I was told this was a friendly business meeting, what business is there to discuss?" He inquired to Malefor, who took out a small blueprint.

"Well, as far as this city is concerned, I'm still the Dark Master, but I want the citizens to invest in something that helps others, I also see this as an opportunity to try and make up for the damage I've caused. From what I can see, many Moles and Dragons in this part of town are without shelter. I was thinking about renting out a building to start some sort of fund to help those in need." Malefor gave his plan to Mole-Yair, who took interest.

"Are you considering a Homeless Shelter?" The Mole asked as Malefor nodded. "Most interesting..."

"And maybe we could have some kind of charity to go with it, to donate money to help those in need of homes."

"This is awfully risky for a Dragon of your reputation." Mole-Yair responded as the Wind Dragon walked up to them.

"Are we ready for orders?" He asked as the two nodded.

"I'll have a coffee, kind sir." Mole-Yair requested.

"I'll get a coffee as well and a Raised Vanilla Donut...maybe throw in some milk as a separate beverage, thanks." Malefor ordered as the Wind Dragon wrote down the orders.

"Alright, I'll get your dishes, gentlemen." He informed them and walked away, and the two resumed their conversation.

"So, a Homeless shelter and a Charity, as I said, awfully risky. How do you know people will even invest?" Mole-Yair wondered while Malefor explained.

"I don't know that. But I need strong advertisement and support from both the High Council and the Congress."

"Don't forget Alida, you'll definitely need her support for something like this. She oversees all business ventures in Warfang." The Mole replied.

"Lovely...I can get Blaze to try and win over the High Council's support. I'll need to set a date to meet with the Congress, as for Alida, I don't know how to reach her." Malefor explained his situation.

"Why come to me with this idea?" Mole-Yair asked as the Wind Dragon set their orders on the table.

"Because I trust you, you helped me and my son when Terrain tried to hurt us, along with Moonwalker..." Malefor shuddered when he thought of the name. "I don't trust that Dragon, he strikes me as fanatical...but I can't help but find him familiar somehow. I'm probably just being paranoid."

"Moonwalker is a slimy bastard, Malefor. He's a very powerful figure in the political world, but he's also a scumbag who'd sell you out in a heartbeat. I'd recommend you avoid his supervision when approaching the Congress about your ventures." Mole-Yair gave Malefor the scoop about Moonwalker.

"Ah, good to know. The one Dragon hellbent on making my life miserable is an incredibly powerful member of the political system. Such refreshing air." Malefor responded sarcastically as he started eating his Donut.

"As far as renting out a space for this shelter, I'll get that covered, I've got some good connections with a businessman who lives in these parts, as for the Charity, I'll do my best to bring it to Alida's attention. But the rest is up to you." Mole-Yair explained and Malefor nodded in acknowledgement, the Dragon turned to look out at the city, and sighed.

"It is gorgeous today!" He blurted as Mole-Yair agreed.

"Indeed, days like these should be cherished, my good friend." The Elderly Mole replied as they finished up their food and drink. "So, Malefor. I've heard you have quite the history, care to share any with me?" Malefor turned to face Mole-Yair.

"I suppose, let's see...where do I begin?"

* * *

_Many Years Ago... (Time Skip: Several Years)_

Malefor shot out of bed and collapsed on the floor, today was their last day at the Temple, and he needed to prepare for Hazan's "Final Exam". _"If I'm late, I'm never gonna hear the end of it from Synthia." _He sighed as he freshened up and rushed out of his quarters, being sure to take flight. Nowadays, Malefor had many admirers, particularly Females, no doubt because of his growth. For one thing, his shoulders had Broadened and his Purple and Gold Scales had become more vibrant, small fins were starting to grow out of the sides of his upper arms. This Sudden change in Physical Appearance meant that he had gone from no Dragonesses being interested in him, to being flooded with females all the time. But despite this, his heart remained pure to Synthia.

"Malefor! Get down here you Purple Loaf! You're gonna be late!" He heard the familiar voice of Synthia and landed. Synthia herself had become much sleeker in form, she retained many of her physical aspects, but now she was merely larger **(At this age, they're probably just a few inches bigger than Spyro and Cynder in Dawn of the Dragon, and they're in their early 20's in Human years)**. As for Ignitus...(he just looks like his appearance in TLOS: A new Beginning but smaller).

"Hey Synthia, sorry I'm late." He blushed in slight embarrassment as Synthia smirked.

"Once again, the mighty Malefor lucked out. Hazan hasn't arrived yet, but in his old age, that should be expected nowadays." She informed the Purple Drake as they walked over to Ignitus and Terrador.

"Hello Malefor, Synthia." Terrador greeted.

"Hey Terrador, Ignitus, where's Incendia?" Malefor asked the Fire Dragon.

"She's resting, since she technically isn't a student, she's excused from academic events or lessons." Ignitus responded as they all stood single-file alongside the other Dragons. Soon enough, they saw Hazan descending onto the ground.

"Good morning students, apologies for my long voyage, my right hip bone is bothering me again." Hazan had aged in the time that he taught the younger Dragons, his body moved slower, his reflexes were leaving him. But he still retained his sharp witted tongue. "Anyways, I hope you're all prepared for your Final Exam. Then it will be off to fight the Apes." In the time of Malefor's training, the small Ape revolts had become a large scale conflict and escalated into all-out warfare. Now the Dragons that Hazan had taught were going to join the ranks of the Dragon Army.

"I'm getting nervous..." Malefor whispered to Ignitus, who chuckled.

"You'll be fine, Malefor." He replied as they stood in a row.

"Now, students, let us begin with physical preparation, you know the drill." Hazan instructed as all the Dragons stretched and warmed themselves up for their exam. Malefor had been nervous for the entire week leading up to the event, and it didn't help that he was going last. The exam was basically a full test of all the skills they had learned throughout the years, and then they'd be sent off to the Dragon Capital, Tachyon.

"We're finished, master." Ignitus blurted as the Dragons had stopped, allowing for the Elderly Dragon to turn and face them.

"Excellent, now it's time to begin our exams, We'll start with Breeze." Hazan called up the Wind Dragon and had him begin his exam.

_(Time Skip: 15 minutes)_

"Alright, Synthia, you're up." Hazan called the Dragoness to the stand and she begun in a matter of seconds, performing her acrobatic skills and use of Shadow, she blew away the competition as far as Malefor was concerned. After 2 minutes of pure spectacle, Malefor was called up. "Now for the grand finale: Malefor, show us what you can do, my boy." Hazan activated the training dummies and Malefor breathed calmly, he closed his eyes and charged at each of the dummies. he left a small trail of fire that burned up the first two dummies, as two more leapt at him, he raised his hands as his Magic flowed from his hands, he sent the two dummies crashing into one another, then flung them off to the side.

_"I can do this..." _He took a deep breath and stomped on the ground, creating a mini shockwave that sent back a large cluster of dummies, he turned to see another group of dummies closing in towards him. He closed his eyes and stood on his hind legs, a dummy tried to punch him, but Malefor grabbed the arm and smashed it inwards with his elbow. He then used the dummy as a weapon and struck each of the other dummies with it. All with his eyes closed, once he opened them, he tossed aside the dummy he used as a weapon and slapped a single dummy behind him.

"Woah...that was impressive." Terrador whispered to Ignitus, who nodded in agreement.

"Very good Malefor. Well, I must say, from what I've seen, you all did exceptionally well. I think as far as teaching...I can provide nothing more for you." Hazan declared. "This is where our paths divert. I expect you to all pack your things by this afternoon, a Convoy will be waiting for you outside the Temple. From there, you go to the Capital, Tachyon." He sent the Dragons away to get their things packed, Malefor breathed a sigh of relief as he entered his quarters. His unmade bed still present with all his things scattered around.

"It won't be the same not residing here." He said to himself and started to pack his things, placing all his personal items and valuables in his bags.

"Malefor?" He looked to see Synthia in the entrance.

"Ah, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company, my Sapphire?" He asked the Dragoness as she giggled and entered the room.

"Well, since I had gotten up earlier and packed my things prior to the exam, I figured I'd visit my Knight in Shining Armor." She replied as she kissed his cheek.

"Let's clear things up, any visit I get from you is heaven, my Sapphire." Malefor's comment made Synthia blush.

"And you say you're not the romantic type. You've got multiple Dragonesses falling head over heels for you." She pointed out as Malefor coiled his tail around hers.

"Yes, but their beauty pales in comparison to you, and your heart. I do hope you don't mind helping me pack." He requested her help, and she nodded.

"Sure, I'll help you. By the way, you did really well today." Synthia complimented his performance.

"Well, all because you helped me to master my skills. But you were much better than me, Synthia." Malefor responded and made the Dragoness blush again.

"Malefor! Your chivalry knows no bounds." She looked away while Malefor chuckled in response.

"Only because I'm in love with the most beautiful Dragoness on this planet." He said whilst packing his things. "I will say, though, I'm not thrilled with being sent off just to fight in a war. It's the last thing I want to take part in."

"War is not something I'm fond of either, Malefor. But we do what we must to ensure that one day the fighting will end. Besides, if I can fight beside you, it'll make the bleakness more durable." Synthia smiled and looked at Malefor as he finished packing.

"Let's just get to Tachyon first...shall we?" He gestured towards the door as the Dragoness nodded.

"We shall." She replied while Malefor had her place his bags on his back. "Are you sure you don't want me to share the load, honey? My bags are already at the Convoy." Synthia asked as Malefor smiled weakly.

"Well...I could use some help." His comment made Synthia giggle as she placed one of his two bags on her own back, and the two walked to the Convoy. As they walked up, they saw that Ignitus and Incendia were already there.

"Incendia, my dear. I do not feel right about bringing you into a war." Ignitus kissed the topside of her paw.

"Ignitus, you worry too much. I'm as willing to fight as you are." She responded and glanced over to see Malefor and Synthia.

"Ah, hello Malefor, Synthia." Incendia greeted as Ignitus turned to face them.

"I'll take your luggage." He grabbed the bags off their backs and placed them into the large carriage that was part of the Convoy.

"Thanks..." Malefor said in relief as Synthia rolled her eyes at his apparent exhaustion.

"Mellow dramatic..." She whispered in his ear as gave him a kiss on the cheek before walking over to Incendia to talk about other subjects.

"You certainly make an impression." Ignitus chuckled and walked over to Malefor, who slowly stood up.

"Well, I had to pack a lot of stuff, you try it sometime and see how it goes." Malefor retorted and punched his shoulder.

"The others should be here soon." The Fire Dragon told Malefor as he nodded.

"I've never been to Tachyon before..." Malefor trailed off.

"You've never been anywhere outside this Temple." Ignitus reminded him as he glared at him slightly.

"I guess we wait, then..." Malefor sighed and began speaking with Ignitus of other matters as the rest of their group slowly arrived, and finally: Hazan himself walked up to them.

"Well then, my esteemed pupils. This is where we part ways, I wish I could say this is easy for me to do, but it's not, you have all felt like my own hatchlings, I raised you, took care of you, and now...like any Dragon's Hatchlings, it is time for you to make your mark on this world...I will miss you all." After Hazan made his speech, the Dragons all started entering the large carriage to prepare for the voyage.

"Hazan..." Malefor walked up to his teacher.

"Yes, Malefor?" He was surprised when Malefor hugged him tightly.

"Thank you...for everything, you're the closest thing I'll ever have to a father, and for that..." Malefor cried a little. "I love you like a father." Hazan returned the hug.

"Thank you, Malefor. You have been a wonderful student, if you were my son: I'd be proud. Now go, and be with Synthia and all your friends, make me proud." He replied as Malefor nodded and joined the others in the Carriage, Hazan then walked up to the Mole that controlled the horses and gave him the all-clear, and with that, they departed from the Temple.

"It's never going to be the same." Malefor said to Synthia, who leaned against him.

"Maybe not, but we're going to get through this, together." This time, she kissed Malefor on the lips, but it was still very brief as they ventured forth, to where they did not know.

* * *

"You've lived quite the life, I see." Mole-Yair pointed out to Malefor, who nodded and took a sip from his coffee.

"Yes, but not all of it has been pleasant..." He trailed off.

"Indeed, my deepest sympathies for your Wife." The Elderly Mole gave his regards while Malefor nodded.

"Thank you, it means a lot."

"I would've loved to meet her, she sounds like she was quite the individual." Mole-Yair pointed out while Malefor chuckled.

"Synthia was special...I don't think I'll find another Dragoness quite like her." Malefor replied as he rolled up the piece of paper he had brought with. "Well, I best be on my way if I'm to get this Shelter and Charity off the ground. I'll contact Blaze and have him discuss the idea with the High Council, and I'll set a date for a meeting with the Congress, see you then, Mole-Yair." Malefor stood up and bid him adieu, then left the Cafe.

* * *

**Yes, hello, it is me, the Author, anyways. I wanted this Chapter to be more focused on Malefor's attempts to redeem himself in the eyes of society, while also shedding some more light on his backstory again. From this point forward, a lot of the Memory Spinets will focus on the First Ape War, and to give you a timeline, the beginning of this story took place in the final Months of the Second Ape War, which was started by the Dark Master, so there's your timeline of events, anyways...I'm gonna go and start JoJo's Bizarre Adventures. Bye.**


	34. Chapter 34: Unfortunate Squabbles

Chapter 34: Unfortunate Squabbles

"Excellent work Spyro, again!" Ignitus complimented him as he took another swipe at a Training Dummy. Then he used his Ice breath to freeze it, and smashed it into pieces. "Very good, I bet the other Ice Dragons could learn a few things from you." He turned to see that the other Ice Dragons weren't really comfortable with Spyro's presence, the only one who wasn't bothered was Shard.

"I'm not so sure, Ignitus." Spyro whispered to him.

"Remind me again why Cyril can't instruct us?" Janne asked the Fire Guardian.

"As far as I'm concerned, a learning experience is best done with an open mind and non-biased opinion. I fear Cyril's polarizing opinions on...certain matters, will only make things worse. It doesn't help that Glacia is away and helping dig up artifacts from our old Temple, she would knock some sense into him. Until then, I'm teaching you: I've had experience with the Ice Element before." Ignitus explained and dismissed Spyro to have him sit with the others, but upon doing so, all the Ice Dragons moved away from him...except for Shard.

"Don't take this personally, Spyro." Shard referred to the others keeping their distance.

"I don't intend to...but I still wish the people of Warfang could open their eyes to the truth: Malefor is not a monster." Spyro replied as Shard sighed.

"Spyro, things take time, Malefor was the Dark Master for 15 years, things like that don't just vanish. But he can still help others to an extent where he can have some sort of life again." He pointed out as Ignitus called up another Ice Dragon to practice.

"Maybe, but the citizens could at least try to make an effort or something." Spyro remarked.

"Can't argue there." Shard mumbled, all the while, Janne watched them from a distance, she was in shock at how Shard could sit by Spyro so calmly.

_"He's the son of Malefor, he can't be trusted." _She glared at Spyro.

"You know what this reminds me of, Shard? It reminds me of when Cynder hated me. It's kinda come full circle, only this time: everyone but Cynder hate me." Spyro commented to Shard, who realized this.

"Yeah...it is pretty similar, I never thought of it like that." He responded as they sat idle for the remainder of the class, awaiting their release.

* * *

As the day winded down, Spyro and Shard left the Dragon Temple and descended down the stairs, making their way through the city. "So, I'm hungry, what about you?" Shard asked him as he nodded and they decided to find a place to eat.

"What about Quake's Grill?" Spyro suggested as Shard nodded and figured it'd be fine. As they entered the restaurant, they caught the attention of many Moles and Dragons, Spyro felt a slight tug and saw a young Hatchling looking at him.

"Um, Mr. Purple Dragon? I just wanted to say you're the coolest Dragon ever!" The Hatchling hugged his hind leg.

"Well I...Thank you." Spyro replied, a little flustered while Shard smirked at the situation.

"Oh dear! Come here now!" They looked to see an older Dragoness, frightened by Spyro's presence and for her son's safety.

"Hey kid, you might want to go to your mother, she seems worried." Shard got the Hatchling's attention, he soon was able to get the Hatchling to go back to his mother, and lead Spyro further into the restaurant.

"I didn't think anyone still viewed me as a hero." Spyro commented.

"That's the beauty of innocence, Spyro. He's too young to process what everyone else knows about you, all he knows is that you saved everyone." Shard explained as they found a table to sit at, the waiter nervously walked up to the table and greeted them, it was a Mole, just to specify.

"Hello sirs...what'll we be having today?" The Mole kept an eye on Spyro while Shard looked at his menu.

"Hmm, I'll have the grilled lamb with some water please." He requested while Spyro looked down at the menu, there were many options to pick from.

"I'll take the cooked chicken with water please." He said in a sincere tone.

"Very well, um, I'll get your drinks then, sirs." The Mole scurried away while the two Dragons started to talk.

"So, Spyro, what's on your mind?" Shard asked as the Purple Dragon thought to himself.

"Well...I've been thinking about something I saw in my battle with the Dark Master in the core of the planet...when I grabbed the Time Crystal, I got all these visions of other worlds...alternate timelines...I'm being serious about this, so don't call me crazy, Shard." Spyro explained as Shard's head perked up in interest.

"Go on..." He gestured as Spyro nodded and continued.

"What if...what if we aren't the only universe out there? That Time Crystal was a bridge between those locations, I saw...more versions of myself and Cynder, differing in appearance, but still versions of us, I just think it's something to consider."

"The Ancestors did always theorize the existence of a Multiverse...I think I'd rather eat my food right now than think of that." Shard replied as the Mole brought their drinks hastily and rushed away, leaving the two alone again.

"It feels kinda weird to be alienated from the rest of society, doesn't it?" Shard asked Spyro, who shrugged.

"Meh, you should spend a day in Malefor's shoes." His response made them both chuckle as they shared some casual banter before their food was brought out. "Thank goodness, I'm starving." Spyro licked his lips and grabbed his chicken, he started to gnaw off pieces of flesh while Shard did the same with his lamb. After they had finished their meal, they paid for the meal and Spyro gave the waiter a tip. Once they stepped outside, more eyes were drawn to them.

"Spyro...I think it'll probably be a good idea if you go back to the Dragon Temple before someone tries something..." Shard whispered to the Purple Drake.

"That's probably a good idea..." He agreed as the two returned to the Dragon Temple to see Janne at the top of the stairs.

"Janne? What're you doing here?" Shard asked her as she walked up to him.

"I need to talk to Shard, alone." She glared at Spyro, indicating that he leave them be.

"Alright..." Spyro entered the Temple doors while Janne and Shard stayed where they were.

"Janne, what's this about?" Shard inquired.

"It's about _him_." She referred to Spyro as Shard face-palmed.

"Of course it is." He sighed while Janne growled.

"How can you still think of him as an ally? He shares the blood of the Dark Master, they can't be trusted." She snapped.

"Oh, I see, so you think because he's related to Malefor, he's evil? Get this through your thick skull, Janne! He's my friend, not a monster. Everyone thinks that bloodlines determine your identity, they don't! Yes, I have my doubts about Malefor, but Spyro trusts him, and that's good enough for me. I thought you knew better than this, Janne, but it proves a point I've always wondered about you: you're just a mindless sheep. You may love me...but you're not Rose." Shard scolded her and walked into the Dragon Temple, leaving Janne dumbstruck and unable to process what had just happened.

* * *

Spyro entered the Temple Doors, not wanting to stick around for what Janne might have to say to Shard, he made his way through the large corridors and glanced at the paintings embedded on the walls, he figured he'd head back to his quarters and rest, but he was intercepted by Terrain.

"How's it going, freak?" He asked smugly while Spyro kept walking.

"Not today, Terrain." Spyro replied, but the Earth Dragon grabbed him by the shoulder and slammed him up against the wall.

"You don't ignore me, Spyro!" He snarled, but Spyro remained calm.

"Terrain, fighting me isn't going to change anything for you, and besides...I'm not fighting you." He told the Earth Dragon, who growled and threw him into the ground.

"You don't have a choice!" Terrain snapped as other students were seeing what the commotion was about.

"What's going on?"

"I think Terrain and Spyro are fighting."

"Really, what tipped you off genuis?" The Students muttered as Spyro slowly stood up, only to be punched in the gut by Terrain and given a clean uppercut to the face. As Spyro stumbled back, he remained still and looked at Terrain.

"Fight back..." Terrain growled as he punched the Purple Dragon in the jaw, He didn't even try to resist the blow with his Earth Element as he was smacked into the ground again.

"No..." Spyro muttered as he got back up, surprising Terrain.

"What did you say?" He growled as Spyro staggered.

"I said: No." The Purple Dragon's response caused Terrain to snarl and slam his fist into Spyro's chest, sending him flying across the corridor, as he tried to get up, he held his rib-cage in pain. He struggled to stand and used the wall for support, holding his side in agony as he got up, only to be slashed in the face by Terrain and punched through the doors of the Temple. Terrain watched with satisfaction as Spyro tumbled down the stairs onto the pavement, he felt a sharp pang coming from his left wing, his face bled prominently as a larger crowd gathered.

"Fight Back! You're the Dragon of Destiny! Fight me!" Terrain roared as he descended the staircase.

"I won't fight you, Terrain, you might've changed as a person from learning the truth about me...but deep down, you're still my friend." Spyro grunted and collapsed from trying to stand again.

"It's your choice." Terrain raised his fist to punch Spyro, but his wing was being pulled back. "What!?" He turned to see a little Dragon, the same one that had hugged Spyro at the restaurant.

"Leave Mr. Purple Dragon alone!" He muffled while pulling back his wing further, allowing Spyro to stand properly.

"I'm not going to fight you, Terrain. Whatever anger you have: take it out any way you can." His comment cause Terrain to turn back to face him, he snarled and punched Spyro in the face, knocking him down.

"No!" The Little Dragon exclaimed as he was swatted aside by Terrain.

"Stay out of this, kid, watch with the crowd." He walked towards Spyro, who crawled across the ground. "Spyro, you betrayed my trust when you revealed your true bloodline, I can't forgive you for that..." Terrain raised both his arms, and slammed them onto Spyro's back, breaking his spine, this time, Spyro was unable to hold back a scream of agony as he groaned in pain, his vision became blurry.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?" The crowd turned to see Ignitus and Cynder.

"Ignitus, I-"

"Spyro!" Cynder rushed past them and up to the Purple Dragon, as she saw the extent of his injuries, she started crying. "Leave..." She muttered to the crowd. "LEAVE!" She shrieked as her body began to glow dark with black mist, and her eyes became a soulless white, the crowd eagerly left once this happened while Ignitus looked down on Terrain.

"Terrain, you have carried out something far worse than I could've possibly imagined from blind rage: Go to your quarters, Now!" Ignitus snapped and sent the Earth Dragon on his way, then he turned his attention to Cynder. "Cynder, listen to me, you have to calm yourself." He walked up to Cynder slowly.

**"No, I can save him!"**

"I too feel his life ebbing away, Cynder, but I can also help. I can save him, Cynder, but you need to contain the darkness." Ignitus had Cynder face him. "Calm yourself." He said again, and Cynder eventually returned to normal. Once that had occurred, He grabbed Spyro and placed him on his back, rushing into the Dragon Temple with Cynder close behind. Fortunately, it didn't take long for them to find the med bay. "Voltea! I need a medical table, stat!" His announcement startled the Dragoness.

"What happened, Ignitus?" She asked.

"Spyro's been injured, bad. We need a table now!" His urgency was made clear to Voltea as she pulled out a table and lead Ignitus into a side-room, they placed Spyro on the table and Voltea inspected his body.

"He's got multiple bruises and scratches, as well as a broken rib and spine." She evaluated the damage done to him.

"Can you help him?" Cynder asked.

"Absolutely, if given the proper care, his wounds will heal in no time. His Spine will need a few months to repair itself, but we can...you know what? I'll explain later, we need to stabilize him, get me those insulated gloves, Ignitus." Voltea directed the Fire Guardian to the rubber gloves and gave them to her. "Okay, here we go..." She rubbed her paws together and put them on his chest. "Clear!" She jolted Spyro's body. "Clear!" She pushed down again. "Clear!" As she did it the final time, she leaned into his chest.

"His heartbeat is stabilized, we're not losing him today." Her statement allowed Cynder to sigh in relief.

"I'll tell Malefor and the others, they'll want to see him, Voltea." Ignitus pointed out.

"Maybe not Cyril." She reminded him of the Dragon's polarized viewpoint.

"Yeah...probably not a good idea." Cynder agreed as Ignitus left the two of them. Cynder looked at the broken and battered Spyro.

"I know what you're thinking, Cynder: he'll be fine." Voltea reassured her.

"What makes you so sure?" She asked.

"Well, for starters, he's a tough nut to crack, we've both seen his resilience to these types of things. He's been stabbed twice, scarred, beaten, and now: he's broken some bones. Spyro has been through a lot...like Volteer." Her comment made Cynder curious.

"What do you mean?" She inquired Voltea, who turned to face Cynder.

"Way back when, Volteer served alongside Ignitus and Terrador in the First Ape War, it's how they met, and I was a medical officer. We met on several occasions, usually by some injury he'd sustained. Sometimes he'd come to me with a mere sprain, other times, he'd been stabbed. But no matter what: He could still crack a smile and a joke...I guess that's how I fell in love with him, there was never anything that could keep him down." Voltea explained and sat on her hind legs.

"How exactly did you fall in love?" Cynder asked as the Lightning Dragoness giggled.

"Well, if I do remember, it had happened like this..."

* * *

_Many Years Ago..._

Voltea scrounged through her supplies, their resources had been thoroughly drained by the Apes constant bombardment of their trench.

_"I can't find anything useful." _She grumbled as she heard a shuffle and turned to see Volteer limping into the tent. "Volteer! Are you okay?" She ran up to him, who grunted in pain.

"I'm fine, just had a tussle with a kamikaze Ape, didn't go too well, if I were to present my opinion on the matter." He explained as Voltea helped him on the bed.

"Why am I not surprised that you took a risk like that?" She wondered aloud as Volteer looked at her.

"Well, it would've jeopardized our base, and I was the only one who took notice." He shrugged as the Dragoness rolled her eyes and wrapped a few bandages around the massive gash running down his chest.

"One of these days, you're going to be hurt and I won't be able to patch you up." Voltea remarked while Volteer smirked.

"The fact that hasn't happened yet is a testament to your skills." His response made Voltea blush as she grabbed some disinfectant cream and rubbed it on some smaller cuts, she then wrapped another bandage around his head diagonally to cover his black eye.

"Volteer, you can't mean that." She considered.

"But I do, you're quite resourceful and skilled, not to mention beautiful." Volteer's comment made Voltea blush harder. "Voltea, I know our only interactions are on the Battlefield or the Med-bay, but I do feel a connection between us, and since tomorrow we're going to make the push on the Ape camp, I don't know if I'll survive, so I might as well do this now...and now I'm rambling, you know what? I'm just going to do it!" Volteer said in depth as Voltea looked at him, confused. But the confusion washed away when Volteer kissed her on the lips, but she didn't resist, instead she returned the kiss and grabbed his face with her paws, when they pulled back, Volteer was very surprised.

"Wow, that played out very differently in my head." He blurted as Voltea giggled.

"Then consider yourself lucky I'm not a complete stranger, now, let's patch you up fully so you can help out with that assault tomorrow." She returned to her work, in the end, Volteer was forced to stay in the med-bay for the night, but he didn't have a problem with it...considering how Voltea stayed with him for the night, not on the same bed, she slept separately, but they still stayed with each other for the night.

* * *

"Woah, that's pretty different." Cynder was surprised as Voltea smiled.

"Yes, well, our love was something that was forged out of war, not something you'd see everyday. Now, I'm going to get some equipment, you're welcome to stay and look after Spyro, but don't touch anything." She told Cynder and left the Dragoness to herself to watch after her lover.


	35. Chapter 35: Unusual Visitors

Chapter 35: Unusual Visitors

"Ugh, my hindlegs are killing me!" A Dragon groaned in irritation as he trekked through the forest with a large Black Dragoness.

"Cease your whining, we're nearly at Warfang." She responded harshly.

"Do we even know if this place can be trusted? Yeah it's Warfang...but it's not what I remember it to be." The Dragon considered as the large Dragoness turned around.

"Why wouldn't it be?" She inquired.

"I don't know, but I'd prefer talking to a Dragoness I recognize. Besides, I don't think your appearance would sit too well with the citizens." He suggested as the Dragoness scoffed.

"Fine." Her form suddenly shifted and she turned much smaller, bearing three ivory horns on each side of her face instead of the metallic-like helmet she bore before.

"Much better, now let's get going, if Warfang is the same, then perhaps we can find the Guardians." The Dragon told her as they walked towards the city gate.

* * *

Malefor thrust open the doors and rushed through the corridors of the Dragon Temple frantically, desperately trying to find the right door. Soon enough he saw Ignitus and rushed up to him. "Is he okay?" He asked worriedly as Ignitus nodded. "Take me to him." He requested as the Fire Guardian lead him to the Med-Bay, and let him in. Soon enough he laid eyes on Spyro in a bed, Cynder, Shard, Voltea, and Volteer were beside him, his left wing was in a cast, and his lower chest was completely wrapped in bandages, he also had some smaller bandages covering some cuts.

"Dear Ancestors..." Malefor gasped as Ignitus walked past him.

"He'll make a full recovery, but he'll have to be in extensive care for at least a month." He informed Malefor.

"What exactly happened to him?"

"Well, he sprained his Wing, broke some ribs and his spine, and he's got a wounded jaw." Voltea answered and walked up to him.

"Who. Did. This?" Malefor clenched his fist.

"Here's the culprit." They turned to see Terrador violently drag in Terrain by the wing.

"Ow!" He yelped as he was tossed onto the ground, he looked up to see Malefor slowly walk towards him, purple mist came out of the sides of his maw as Terrain was cornered.

"If the circumstances were different, I'd gut you like a fish for what you did...but, you're a student of Ignitus, and so I must respect what he wishes to do to you." Malefor growled and turned away to walk over to the wounded Spyro.

"Ignitus, what're we going to do? The public will be curious, this incident will make them view Spyro and his father as weak, and further drive the hate and ridicule towards them." Terrador commented as Ignitus walked past.

"I know, I know. We can't tell them anything, and you must find those that witnessed the event, do whatever you have to to keep them quiet, as for Terrain..." They looked at the Earth Dragon.

"I wish it didn't have to come to this, but you have carried this out too far...guards!" Ignitus called in two guards. "Imprison Terrain in the brig below." He ordered them and they grabbed Terrain, who attempted to resist. It didn't help his cause because both guards were Earth Dragons, and they overpowered him, taking him below. "It pains me to know that hatred for Spyro's lineage causes such destruction in oneself." Ignitus sighed as he looked at Spyro.

"This is just concerning, terrifying, shocking, the fact that Spyro was placed in such critical condition is just ridiculous!" Volteer expressed his concern as Voltea sighed.

"Calm yourself, Volteer. You're doing it again." She referred to his rambling.

"I apologize, Voltea, it really only happens when I'm nervous. But it doesn't change the fact that Spyro was beaten to such a wounded state...why didn't he fight back?" He wondered aloud.

"Because Spyro is a Dragon of respect and honor, and Terrain isn't." Malefor answered his question, suddenly a Mole rushed into the room.

"Ignitus, there's something urgent that's come up." He told the Fire Guardian.

"What is it?" Ignitus asked.

"Well...it's difficult to explain in words, you'll have to see for yourself." The Mole beckoned for him to follow.

"Shard, Cynder, come with me." Ignitus had the Dragons follow him outside.

"What do you think this could be?" Cynder asked Shard, who shrugged.

"I don't know, right now I'm more concerned about Spyro." He responded as they walked outside the Dragon Temple.

"Now, what was so important we had to be out here?" Ignitus asked the Mole, who pointed forward.

"Just look." He replied as they looked up and were utterly stunned at what they saw. It was Spyro and Cynder.

"What the Hell?" Shard said aloud as Cynder walked up to her duplicate.

"Ignitus, I don't recall Malefor ever making a clone of me. What's going on?" She asked him.

"I'm as confused as you are, Cynder." He replied as the copy of Spyro looked at him.

"You're...not dead?" He was stunned and started to tear up a little.

"Of course I'm not dead, but my Spyro is on the brink of it." Ignitus was startled when Spyro hugged him.

"I've missed you, Ignitus..." He pulled away quickly as Shard snapped his fingers.

"I've got it! These guys are Spyro and Cynder, but they're not our Spyro and Cynder." He stepped in front of Ignitus.

"Really? What gave that away?" The Cynder duplicate retorted in a sassy way.

"Just shut up and let me speak, please? Earlier today, I was talking with Spyro about his final duel with the Dark Master and he spoke about the Time Crystal a lot. He mentioned seeing parallel timelines, do you think it's possible that the Dark Master's plan to destroy time caused a rift which brought these guys into our world?" Shard's theory seemed plausible to the rest.

"That is possible, but if they're not from our world, how do we get them back to theirs?" Ignitus wondered as their Cynder turned to face him.

"What I want to know is what makes them different to us?" She wanted to know as the Cynder duplicate tapped her shoulder.

"Well for starters, I can do this." Her body began to rapidly grow and change shape, until she towered over the other Dragons, causing Cynder to stumble back.

"My name: is Zirra, I hope you remember it." Zirra said briefly before shifting back to Cynder.

"What was that?" Shard peered over Ignitus's hindleg.

"Zirra is an Adalisk, a being who merged her soul to my body to become Malefor's puppet, she's different now, though. I believe that anyone can change." Cynder's duplicate explained as they heard the doors to the Dragon Temple open.

"Well, it's relieving to see that not everyone is so narrow-minded, hello Ignitus." Terrador walked down beside him.

"Hello Terrador, we've got ourselves a situation involving different realities, I suggest we bring in these two before they draw more eyes. Remember what I told you, go and find the ones present at Spyro and Terrain's fight and keep them quiet. We don't want a public outroar." Ignitus said the last part in a whisper to Terrador, who nodded and took flight. Ignitus then brought them inside.

"There is something you need to know upon entering. _our _Spyro is critically wounded, and at best, he'll need a month to recover from his injuries. You may go and see him if you wish." Ignitus informed them as he led them into the Med-bay.

"Woah." Spyro was in shock at seeing his duplicate in such a wounded state as he walked towards the bedside. "Who did this to him?" He was concerned.

"An Earth Dragon named Terrain, he and Spyro have been at odds with each other for some time now, but I never imagined such violence could ensue from a simple arguement." They all turned to see Malefor.

"What!? The Dark Master!?" The Alternate Spyro shielded his Cynder from him while Shard and his Cynder guarded Malefor.

"Please just hear us out, okay? We have no idea what the hell is going on in your dimension at the moment. But our Malefor is one of the good guys, try to understand that." Cynder explained.

"Well, this is...something." Malefor was quite confused. "How's my son?" He asked Ignitus, which surprised the duplicates of Spyro and Cynder.

"Doing well." He replied and let Malefor walk past.

"Wait...I'm your son in this world?"

"Well, I don't know how in hell either of you exist, but to answer your question: Yes, I am Spyro's biological father." He knelt down beside his son.

"That's certainly a bombshell." The Alternate Cynder remarked as Ignitus walked up to them.

"Indeed, but now we have to focus on other things at the moment, like where you shall stay. You may be from another world, but you're still our guests, this way, Young Dragons." Ignitus lead the duplicates out of the Med-Bay, with their Cynder following close behind.

* * *

_Many Years Ago..._

Stars. They were something many Dragons took a big interest in, probably due to the mystery of it all, being such a small being in such a vast cosmos. "GET DOWN!" A large boulder smashed into the snow as an Ice Dragon flung himself into a trench. His heavy breathing felt like the loudest thing in the world.

"I need a medic!" An Earth Dragon was beside a Wind Dragon with a broken leg as the Ice Dragon rushed through the trench. Frantically, he grabbed a spear and shield and looked over the trench wall as he noticed a platoon of Apes charging towards their camp.

"Sir, we've got a platoon rushing the camp." The Ice Dragon told a high-ranking Fire Dragon that was with him.

"Well, what're you waiting for, an invitation? Meet them on the battlefield! Go! Go!" He said the last part to the other Dragons as they leaped out and rushed the Apes. But soon found they were severely outnumbered as the Apes slaughtered the Dragons. The Ice Dragon backed away in fear and fell over as an Ape solider raised it's sword, and was ready to plunge it into his chest when he started levitating.

"Woah! Hey!" The Ape cried out as the Ice Dragon looked over to see a Purple Dragon lifting him into the air.

"Captain!"

"Please, it's Malefor." He sighed and rammed the Ape into his comrades. "Get back to the camp, I'll handle this." He stepped in front of the Ice Dragon, who eagerly retreated. "I'd advise you all to surrender. So less Bloodshed will occur." Malefor attempted to reason with them, but the Apes raised their weapons.

"Fine, it's your choice." Malefor sighed as a Fire Dragon whooshed over his head. "Ignitus! Comet Dash!" He exclaimed as Ignitus's form start generating fire around him, and he charged into the group of Apes, sending them flying into the distance.

"Well, that was something." Ignitus stretched as an explosion occurred beside them.

"There'll be time for conversation later, into the trench!" Malefor exclaimed as they both leapt into the trench, once they were in the clear, they left and entered the inner bunker, as they entered, they saw many Dragons walking through the corridors. "Three months, three damn months spent trying to take the Winter Tundra from these Apes. I'm sick of war." Malefor grimaced as Ignitus patted him on the back.

"Don't worry, from what I've heard, we're very close to taking their camp. Now let's go the command center." He replied as they entered the command center, where Synthia and Terrador were at the table.

"Hey, guys." Malefor greeted them as Synthia turned to see him.

"How's it going outside?" She asked Malefor as he walked up to the table beside her.

"Well, we're still holed up here, so that gives you some ideas for progress, our rations are short and we've got limited supplies. None of our nearby allies can send any of these things to us, and we've trying to secure the Winter Tundra for three months with no success." Malefor listed out how things were going and looked at their war table.

"Lovely." Terrador grumbled as they started to plan their next, Malefor glanced at the positioning of the Ape Camp, and a plan started coming to mind. Synthia took notice of his expression.

"You're thinking of something, aren't you?" She asked as he looked over at her.

"Am I that obvious?" He inquired.

"Yes."

"Whatever, I was wondering: the Ape Camp isn't that far away from us...what if we snuck in to steal some of their rations?" Malefor suggested to the others.

"The Commander will never approve of this, too risky." Ignitus reminded him.

"Commander doesn't need to know." He winked and explained his plan more in-depth. "Now, as far as entry is concerned, I could sneak into the camp at night, since most of the soldiers will be asleep by then." Malefor explained to them.

"Their nightguards would be on duty, if you were spotted-" Terrador was cut off by Synthia.

"He won't, not if I go with, I could use my Shadow Element to cloak both of us, they'd be oblivious to our presence." She added on.

"That could work, but the two of you wouldn't be able to secure a whole lot of rations. You'd need backup." Ignitus said as Terrador backed up.

"We'll come up with the specifics later, but for now: this conversation never left the room." They all agreed and left the command center, Malefor walked with Synthia through the dimly lit stone corridor while Ignitus and Terrador went elsewhere.

"You look tired." Synthia noticed the dark circles under his eyes.

"Oh, this? It's nothing, just late nights, that's all." Malefor tried to brush it off, but Synthia wouldn't let him.

"You really need to get some sleep." She considered as he sighed.

"I'll tell you what I need: some peace and quiet, every night, I can't even sleep either due to the bombardments made on our base, or just anxiety. I hate this war, I hate fighting, I miss the Temple, and I miss Hazan." Malefor snapped suddenly, slightly startling Synthia. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to take that out on you...I just don't want to fight, being a pacifist in a large war is difficult. Every day I got outside and see the same things: blood and death." He apologized while Synthia coiled her tail around his.

"I understand where you're coming from, it's hard, and I certainly don't like this war any more than you do. But some things are worth fighting for." She replied in a sympathetic manner as they continued to walk through the corridor, eventually they reached the barracks and Malefor laid on his bed.

"It's just...I get that we're fighting to keep the Dragons from being enslaved, but is starting a war really the best option?" He asked Synthia, who sighed and shook her head.

"I don't know, the problem is that everyone let it simmer for too long until a movement became a revolution." She replied as they laid on separate beds.

"Synthia, what if we went to the Ape Camp tonight?" Malefor suggested to her, Synthia considered it for a moment.

"It'd be risky, but if we had the right plan, it could go well." Synthia said, their conversation was soon cut off as they heard explosions from outside.

"We might want to help them." Malefor pointed out as Synthia nodded and they left the barracks and went out to the Battlefield.

* * *

**Hello folks, I apologize this took awhile, I've been doing some other work on different stories that I still haven't finished and plan to release. We got a new Chapter for Spyro: Worlds of the Past coming, but I haven't started. If any of you are fans of my FNaF books, I'm writing a new chapter for my latest one, so a lot of stuff is coming along with this Chapter, so I'll see you all then. Oh, and before you ask: Yes, I did ask Seeraphine for permission to use her characters for a few chapters. I thought it'd be cool to do, and obviously, she said yes as you can see. Anyways, I'll see ya later.**


	36. Chapter 36: New Dangers

**Hey guys, sorry for the long wait, I've been taking a break from writing to do some soul searching in a way, and part of that soul-searching involved me finding a lovely girl to share my love with...which is something I never expected to happen. Anyways: let's get onto the Chapter, we've got a lot to cover, so let's go. Also, we're going to call the alternate Spyro and Cynder (Z) as in Zirra, (Z) Spyro and (Z) Cynder, now let's start.**

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Chapter 36: New Dangers

_1 Month_ _Later_

"Come on, Spyro, easy does it..." Cynder helped the Purple Drake out of his bed while their alternate counterparts watched, (Z) Spyro was the most unnerved by his counterpart's injuries, seeing something brutally beat down his own self wasn't a pretty site, as Spyro got out of his bed, he stumbled and fell.

"Ow ow ow! Sorry Cyn..." He looked up at his Cynder, who merely smiled and helped him up.

"It's okay, we'll get it soon enough, it's just day 1. Now come on, let's get you out of this room, Spy." She replied as lead him out of the Medical Bay.

"You okay, Spyro? You seemed...a little unsettled." (Z) Cynder turned to face him.

"I'm fine, it's just...well, did you see him? He's still covered in bandages, I've been a witness to myself on the brink of death." He pointed out as (Z) Cynder agreed silently while Spyro tripped over again.

"Ow..." He grumbled as Cynder helped him up.

"You're doing great." She smiled and lead him towards the exit, once the fresh air hit Spyro, he took in a deep breath and sighed while he slowly made his way down the stairs and stepped out onto the corridor. "You feeling better?" Cynder asked her lover as he nodded.

"Yeah, the Sun...it feels refreshing, only wish I could fly and enjoy the breeze." Spyro looked down in slight disappointment as Cynder tried to keep him optimistic.

"Well, this is nice and all, but we still need to find a way home." (Z) Spyro interrupted the moment, which earned him a scowl from Cynder. "What? My point still stands."

"As rude as his intrusion was, the duplicate of Spyro is correct. You need to return to your dimension." They turned to see Malefor striding out of the Temple.

"Can't you conjure a portal to send us back?" (Z) Cynder asked him as he shook his head.

"The only ones with access to such magic are Dark Sorcerers, and using a spell of such magnitude require strong Willpower and pureness of heart to withstand the Dark Magic required."

"Not to mention that Dark Magic is an illegal practice, it's been banned for centuries." Volteer's voice surprised them.

"Ah! Where did you come from?" Malefor asked the Lightning Dragon, who was behind him.

"A Guardian doesn't reveal his secrets...unless he takes on a pupil." He replied. "But as I was saying, Dark Magic has been outlawed for centuries, since the dawn of the Golden Age, those who continued such practices were exiled to the Land of Relics." Volteer's explanation only caused more confusion.

"What's the Land of Relics?" Spyro asked.

"The Land of Relics was part of the Old Realms, it along with the rest of the Realms were abandoned by our Ancestors in search of new land to conquer, starting the Golden Age of the Dragon Race. Many Dark Sorcerers were banished there because the land was fertile enough for them to sustain themselves, our leaders were not above killing, but they preferred less violent solutions for issues." Malefor explained as Spyro hobbled forward.

"Well, what're we waiting for?" He asked as Malefor turned to face him.

"Son, I'm sorry, but you're not in a good condition to fight or even travel, your flight capabilities are inhibited due to your wounds." Malefor knelt down

"But-"

"You're to remain in Warfang until your injuries are fully healed, and your muscles are strong enough, you can barely walk as it is." The older Purple Dragon sternly told his son, as he stared at the ground in disappointment, Malefor looked at Volteer. "Inform Ignitus that I plan to take Cynder and the duplicates to the Land of Relics, and have him assign Shard to look after Spyro while he recovers, it'll probably be a lengthy trip." He instructed Volteer.

"But Malefor, surely it would be best if I accompanied you, I'm familiar with the location you plan to go to, as powerful as you are, two Dragons of our caliber would be better than one." The Lightning Dragon replied as Malefor considered this.

"Very well, but go and tell Ignitus." The Purple Dragon allowed Volteer's request and sent him off, then he turned to face Spyro. "Spyro, I don't mean to be harsh, but I just want you to be safe." Malefor reassured his son, and sent him inside the Temple.

"He'll be mad at me for awhile, I can sense it..." He sighed and turned back to the others. "I suggest you two get ready for the journey ahead, gather any supplies you might need." He sent them on their way, leaving only him and Cynder.

"Sometimes I wonder if I'm being the best parent to Spyro...I've been absent from his life for 15 years, attempting to destroy the world. Now that I'm back, I just want to make up for lost time." Malefor opened up to Cynder.

"Malefor, you may have been the Dark Master, but Spyro's the type of Dragon that sees past the flaws, he may be upset he can't go with us, but I know he's glad to have you as his father, even if that has stained his reputation in any way." She responded while Malefor smiled.

"Thank you, Cynder, you're very well spoken." He complimented her as he stared into the sky.

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_Many Years Ago..._

Malefor sat in a trench, staring into the star-filled sky, he sighed and stared ahead.

"Daydreaming?" He was caught by surprise and turned to see Synthia walking out of the bunker.

"The sky is rather beautiful this time of night, isn't it?" Malefor replied as the Dragoness sat next to him.

"Yes, it is...Are you ready for the mission tonight?" Synthia asked him as he nodded.

"Yeah." He said plainly and continued to stare at the stars.

"Are you even paying attention?" She inquired, but Malefor didn't hear what she had said, she snapped her fingers to get his attention.

"Ah! Sorry...I just, I'm fascinated with the Cosmos." He stated, causing Synthia to giggle in amusement.

"You're very cute when you're like that." The Dragoness responded as their tails coiled. "Anyways, I figured we could use some help, so I got a third Dragon on the job." A Lightning Dragon walked out to join them.

"Malefor, this is Volteer, he's new here." Malefor stood up and walked over to the Dragon.

"At ease." He noticed the Dragon's tense posture. "It's a shame that war has managed to drag another young soul into the fold. But welcome aboard, Volteer." Malefor shook paws with the Lightning Dragon.

"It's an honor to be working with a Purple Dragon." He said dutifully. "So what's our plan?" He asked Malefor.

"Well, we'll discuss that once we reach the camp, so I'd get ready for a trip for starters if I were you." Malefor replied as the Young Dragon rushed off.

"He reminds me of you." Synthia smirked, causing Malefor to look at her with a raised brow.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked as they walked through the dirt trench.

"Volteer's a good Dragon, his heart's in the right place, even if he is a little clueless at times." Synthia stated.

"And that reminds you of me? I didn't realize you thought I was clueless."

"A lot of things go over your head, dear." The Dragoness remarked, causing Malefor to raise his brow again.

"Like what?" He responded.

"Five words: My huge crush on you. It took years for you to realize how I felt."

"Yeah, but at the time, I thought the feeling wasn't mutual so I didn't try to interact." The Purple Dragon defended himself as the Dragoness giggled.

"Is that right? From what Ignitus told me, you didn't have a clue I felt that way." Synthia pointed out.

"Well, I...maybe...at the time, I wasn't the most concerned with relationships, my parents had just died, and I wasn't exactly the most impressive student under Hazan's teaching." Malefor replied as Synthia kissed his cheek.

"But you were impressive, you were the only Dragon to have studied Magic as opposed to your natural elements, and Magic takes more practice than learning your elements, I admired the dedication and how much you cared to help with someone's personal issue." The Dragoness walked towards the entrance of the bunker. "I think you're one of the most pure-hearted Dragons I've ever known, Malefor." Her last comment made Malefor blush.

"Well, my Sapphire, I could say the same about you." The Purple Dragon walked into the bunker with Synthia. "Now I suggest we gather any supplies and bags so we can bring back the rations to our camp." He suggested as the two lovers reluctantly parted ways.

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_Present Day..._

Spyro was sitting in the courtyard, pondering to himself. He still felt upset that he couldn't join the others on their trip.

"What troubles you, Young Dragon?" He turned to see Ignitus walking up to him.

"Ignitus? What're you doing here?" Spyro asked the Fire Guardian.

"I figured a nice stroll outside would be nice, I heard Malefor is venturing to the Land of Relics with your duplicates and Cynder." Ignitus answered his question honestly. "I can sense your disappointment, Spyro. Do not be mad at your father, he only wants to protect you from danger."

"Did he forget that I managed to break one of his ribs when he was possessed? I can handle myself." Spyro replied.

"Until you're in better shape, you're going to have to remain here to stay safe, it's not against your benefit, we only want what's best." The Fire Guardian tried to lift his spirits, but Spyro remained solemn. "Come along, Young Dragon, you might as well wish your companions luck." The Purple Dragon slowly walked with Ignitus so as not to loose his balance over to Cynder and the others.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye for now." Spyro said to his lover, who hugged him lightly.

"Let's hope that I'll see you soon." Cynder smiled as Malefor walked up to them.

"Be well soon, Spyro." The older Purple Dragon knelt down and nuzzled Spyro in a fatherly manner.

"I guess it's time to depart then, farewell for now, old friend." Ignitus bid Malefor and the rest of the group adieu, and just like that, once they had left. Ignitus beckoned for Spyro to follow him inside. "Come along, Young Dragon, I suggest we begin with your physical therapy as soon as possible so you may return to full strength as soon as possible." The Guardian lead him inside the Dragon Temple. but as much as Spyro wanted to recover, he couldn't help but feel just as he did back at their Old Temple...alone.

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**Hello friends, I realize it's been awhile, but I'm just glad to get this out, I've got some things to catch up on, and I also want to keep working on Dawn of Amnesty, anyways, I hope you enjoyed this short but sweet chapter, and don't worry: Zirra's Return Spyro and Cynder will receive some of the spotlight in the next Chapter, I'm hoping...now, Adios.**


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